Do Planets Steal a Star's Lithium? A New Look at 450 Stars
This study analyzed 450 stars to test whether having planets affects a star's lithium levels. Using high-resolution data and careful comparisons, the authors found no significant difference in lithium abundance between stars with and without planets. Factors like stellar mass and age explain lithium variation better than planet presence.
What Really Drains a Star’s Lithium? It’s Not Where It’s Been, But What It Is
Dantas et al. find that lithium depletion in stars is primarily driven by intrinsic properties like temperature, metallicity, and age—not by stellar motion. Outward-migrating stars appear more depleted simply because they are older and cooler. The study cautions against using lithium levels in such stars as indicators of the interstellar medium's composition.
Unveiling HIP 8522: A Curious Young Solar Twin with Puzzlingly Low Lithium
HIP 8522 is a young solar twin with an unusually low lithium abundance, significantly lower than expected for a star of its age. Lithium is typically depleted gradually in stars, but HIP 8522, despite being less than 1 billion years old, shows a level similar to much older stars. The study suggests two possible explanations for this: HIP 8522 could be a field blue straggler formed from a stellar merger, or it may have undergone episodic accretion, possibly engulfing a nearby object early in its history. This star challenges existing models of stellar evolution, particularly regarding lithium depletion.