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Forty-year-old puzzle about Stars solved
Why is it in News?
- Puzzle regarding production of lithium is solved by Indian researchers.
Evolution of Stars and Lithium
- During the process of evolution of Stars, lithium gets destroyed.
- Planets have more lithium than Stars.
- Contradiction puzzle is that some Stars found with rich Lithium.
- Lithium:
(1) Atomic Number is 3 and it is soft silver colored alkali metal.
(2) It is the lightest metal and lightest solid metal.
(3) It is highly inflammable. So it must be stored in mineral oil.
(4) It is highly reactive and doesn’t occur freely in nature.
(5) It is commonly used in industrial applications, including heat-resistant glass and ceramics, lithium grease lubricants, flux additives for iron, steel and aluminium production, lithium batteries, and lithium-ion batteries.
(6) It was first produced during Big Bang around 13.7 billions years ago.
(7) While other elements grew million times in the universe, Lithium presence grew by only 4 times the Big Bang value.
(8) It is due to Lithium gets destroyed in Stars.
- Present study:
(1) Lithium enhancement among low mass giant stars is common.
(2) When star evolves beyond the Red Giant stage, and before it reaches the Red Clump stage, there is a helium flash.
(3) This helium flash enriches star with Lithium.
(4) This study challenges the ‘Planet Engulfment Theory’ which proposes planets increase lithium of stars when they enter into star’s atmosphere after Red Giant stage.