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Lithium isotopic abundances in metal-poor stars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2005

Martin Asplund
Affiliation:
Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Cotter Road, Weston, ACT 2611, Australia email: martin@mso.anu.edu.au
Poul Erik Nissen
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
David L. Lambert
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, TX 78712-1083, USA
Francesca Primas
Affiliation:
European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild Str. 2, D-85748 Garching b. München, Germany
Verne V. Smith
Affiliation:
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, AZ 85726, USA
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Abstract

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We report on a survey of $^7$Li and $^6$Li isotopic abundances in metal-poor halo stars. The spectra of the 24 stars observed with VLT/UVES are of exceptionally high quality: $S/N>400$ and resolving power $R \simeq 120 000$. The $^7$Li abundances on our H$\alpha$$T_{\rm eff}$-scale show very small intrinsic scatter and a pronounced [Fe/H]-dependence. The resulting estimated primordial $^7$Li abundance is about 0.5 dex lower than predicted from Big Bang nucleosynthesis and the baryon density inferred by the cosmic microwave background. Nine of the stars yield a positive detection (${>}2\sigma$) of $^6$Li, which suggests the existence of a $^6$Li plateau for halo stars. The most interesting result is the presence of $^6$Li in the very metal-poor ([Fe/H]$=-2.74$) dwarf LP815-43 at the level of $^6$Li/$^7$Li${\simeq}\, 0.05\pm0.02$. According to models for stellar Li depletion due to diffusion or rotationally-induced mixing, a 0.5 dex $^7$Li depletion would require an unrealistic high initial $^6$Li abundance ($\log ^6{\rm Li} \ge 2.0$). Simultaneously, the observed high $^6$Li abundance at such low [Fe/H] can not be reconciled with existing models for Galactic cosmic ray spallation and $\alpha$-fusion reactions. This opens up exciting prospects of pre-Galactic $^6$Li production, possibly due to cosmological cosmic rays or late-decaying massive particles such as the gravitino or neutralino in the Big Bang.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
© 2005 International Astronomical Union