scholarly journals Li isotopes in metal-poor halo dwarfs: a more and more complicated story

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S268) ◽  
pp. 201-210
Author(s):  
Monique Spite ◽  
François Spite
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
The Other ◽  
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis ◽  
Lithium Abundance ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Li Isotope ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
Early Galaxy

AbstractThe nuclei of the lithium isotopes are fragile, easily destroyed, so that, at variance with most of the other elements, they cannot be formed in stars through steady hydrostatic nucleosynthesis.The 7Li isotope is synthesized during primordial nucleosynthesis in the first minutes after the Big Bang and later by cosmic rays, by novae and in pulsations of AGB stars (possibly also by the ν process). 6Li is mainly formed by cosmic rays. The oldest (most metal-deficient) warm galactic stars should retain the signature of these processes if, (as it had been often expected) lithium is not depleted in these stars. The existence of a “plateau” of the abundance of 7Li (and of its slope) in the warm metal-poor stars is discussed. At very low metallicity ([Fe/H] < −2.7dex) the star to star scatter increases significantly towards low Li abundances. The highest value of the lithium abundance in the early stellar matter of the Galaxy (logϵ(Li) = A(7Li) = 2.2 dex) is much lower than the the value (logϵ(Li) = 2.72) predicted by the standard Big Bang nucleosynthesis, according to the specifications found by the satellite WMAP. After gathering a homogeneous stellar sample, and analysing its behaviour, possible explanations of the disagreement between Big Bang and stellar abundances are discussed (including early astration and diffusion). On the other hand, possibilities of lower productions of 7Li in the standard and/or non-standard Big Bang nucleosyntheses are briefly evoked.A surprisingly high value (A(6Li)=0.8 dex) of the abundance of the 6Li isotope has been found in a few warm metal-poor stars. Such a high abundance of 6Li independent of the mean metallicity in the early Galaxy cannot be easily explained. But are we really observing 6Li?

scholarly journals Exploring the origin of low-metallicity stars in Milky-Way-like galaxies with the NIHAO-UHD simulations

2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (3) ◽  
pp. 3750-3762
Author(s):  
Federico Sestito ◽  
Tobias Buck ◽  
Else Starkenburg ◽  
Nicolas F Martin ◽  
Julio F Navarro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cosmic Evolution ◽  
Early Formation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
The Big Bang

ABSTRACT The kinematics of the most metal-poor stars provide a window into the early formation and accretion history of the Milky Way (MW). Here, we use five high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations (∼ 5 × 106 star particles) of MW-like galaxies taken from the NIHAO-UHD project, to investigate the origin of low-metallicity stars ([Fe/H] ≤ −2.5). The simulations show a prominent population of low-metallicity stars confined to the disc plane, as recently discovered in the MW. The ubiquity of this finding suggests that the MW is not unique in this respect. Independently of the accretion history, we find that ≳90 per cent of the retrograde stars in this population are brought in during the initial build-up of the galaxies during the first few Gyr after the Big Bang. Our results therefore highlight the great potential of the retrograde population as a tracer of the early build-up of the MW. The prograde planar population, on the other hand, is accreted during the later assembly phase and samples the full galactic accretion history. In case of a quiet accretion history, this prograde population is mainly brought in during the first half of cosmic evolution (t ≲ 7 Gyr), while, in the case of an ongoing active accretion history, later mergers on prograde orbits are also able to contribute to this population. Finally, we note that the MW shows a rather large population of eccentric, very metal-poor planar stars. This is a feature not seen in most of our simulations, with the exception of one simulation with an exceptionally active early building phase.

scholarly journals Protostellar accretion in low mass metal poor stars and the cosmological lithium problem

2020 ◽  
Vol 638 ◽  
pp. A81
Author(s):  
Emanuele Tognelli ◽  
Pier Giorgio Prada Moroni ◽  
Scilla Degl’Innocenti ◽  
Maurizio Salaris ◽  
Santi Cassisi
Keyword(s):  
Main Sequence ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis ◽  
Lithium Abundance ◽  
Solar Metallicity ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Impact

Context. The cosmological lithium problem, that is, the discrepancy between the lithium abundance predicted by the Big Bang nucleosynthesis and the one observed for the stars of the “Spite plateau”, is one of the long standing problems of modern astrophysics. Recent hints for a possible solution involve lithium burning induced by protostellar mass accretion on Spite plateau stars. However, to date, most of the protostellar and pre-main sequence stellar models that take mass accretion into account have been computed at solar metallicity, and a detailed analysis on the impact of protostellar accretion on the lithium evolution in the metal-poor regime, which is relevant for stars in the Spite plateau, is completely missing. Aims. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap, analysing, in detail, for the first time the effect of protostellar accretion on low metallicity low-mass stars with a focus on pre-main sequence lithium evolution. Methods. We computed the evolution from the protostar to the main-sequence phase of accreting models with final masses equal to 0.7 and 0.8 M⊙, and three metallicities Z = 0.0001, Z = 0.0010, and Z = 0.0050, corresponding to [Fe/H] ∼ −2.1, −1.1 (typical of Spite plateau stars), and [Fe/H] ∼ −0.42, respectively. We followed the temporal evolution of the chemical composition by considering nuclear burning, convective mixing, and diffusion. The effects of changing some of the main parameters affecting accreting models, that is the accretion energy (i.e. cold versus hot accretion), the initial seed mass Mseed and radius Rseed, and the mass accretion rate ṁ (also considering episodic accretion), have been investigated in detail. Results. As for the main stellar properties and in particular the surface 7Li abundance, hot accretion models converge to standard non-accreting ones within 1 Myr, regardless of the actual value of Mseed, Rseed, and ṁ. Also, cold accretion models with a relatively large Mseed (≳10 MJ) or Rseed (≳1 R⊙) converge to standard non-accreting ones in less than about 10−20 Myr. However, a drastically different evolution occurs whenever a cold protostellar accretion process starts from small values of Mseed and Rseed (Mseed ∼ 1 MJ, Rseed ≲ 1 R⊙). These models almost entirely skip the standard Hayashi track evolution and deplete lithium before the end of the accretion phase. The exact amount of depletion depends on the actual combination of the accretion parameters (ṁ, Mseed, and Rseed), achieving in some cases the complete exhaustion of lithium in the whole star. Finally, the lithium evolution in models accounting for burst accretion episodes or for an initial hot accretion followed by a cold accretion phase closely resemble that of standard non-accreting ones. Conclusions. To significantly deplete lithium in low-mass metal poor stars by means of protostellar accretion, a cold accretion scenario starting from small initial Mseed and Rseed is required. Even in this extreme configuration leading to a non-standard evolution that misses almost entirely the standard Hayashi track, an unsatisfactory fine tuning of the parameters governing the accretion phase is required to deplete lithium in stars of different mass and metallicity – starting from the Big Bang nucleosynthesis abundance – in such a way as to produce the observed Spite plateau.

scholarly journals Elements in the Cosmos: Origin of the Light Elements

1991 ◽  
Vol 145 ◽  
pp. 3-12
Author(s):  
Hubert Reeves
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Light Elements ◽  
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis ◽  
Hadron Phase ◽  
Iron Deficient ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Ray ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
Theoretical Developments

In the first part of this paper, a review is given of the situation of the Big Bang nucleosynthesis of the nuclides D, 3He, 4He and 7Li, taking into account the latest experimental data (number of neutrino species, lifetime of the neutron) and theoretical developments (quark-hadron phase transition). In the second part. I review the process of Galactic Cosmic Ray formation of lithium, beryllium and boron throughout the life of the galaxy, taking advantage of recent measurements of Be and Li in iron deficient stars.

scholarly journals Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, Population III, and Stellar Genetics in the Galactic Halo

2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean G. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Galactic Halo ◽  
Stellar Populations ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis ◽  
Chemical Signatures ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Successive Generations ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Population Iii

AbstractThe diverse isotopic and elemental signatures produced in different nucleosynthetic sites are passed on to successive generations of stars. By tracing these chemical signatures back through the stellar populations of the Galaxy, it is possible to unravel its nucleosynthetic history and even to study stars which are now extinct. This review considers recent applications of ‘stellar genetics’ to examine the earliest episodes of nucleosynthesis in the universe, in Population iii stars and the Big Bang.

scholarly journals Spiral morphology in an intensely star-forming disk galaxy more than 12 billion years ago

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. eabe9680
Author(s):  
Takafumi Tsukui ◽  
Satoru Iguchi
Keyword(s):  
Big Bang ◽  
Compact Structure ◽  
Spiral Arms ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Gas Kinematics ◽  
Internal Structures ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Galaxy Center ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
Tidal Tails

Spiral galaxies have distinct internal structures including a stellar bulge, disk and spiral arms. It is unknown when in cosmic history these structures formed. We analyze observations of BRI 1335–0417, an intensely star-forming galaxy in the distant Universe, at redshift 4.41. The [C ii] gas kinematics show a steep velocity rise near the galaxy center and have a two-armed spiral morphology, which extends from about 2 to 5 kiloparsecs in radius. We interpret these features as due to a central compact structure, such as a bulge; a rotating gas disk; and either spiral arms or tidal tails. These features had formed within 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang, long before the peak of cosmic star formation.

scholarly journals Searching for space-time variation of the fine structure constant using QSO spectra: overview and future prospects

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (H15) ◽  
pp. 304-304
Author(s):  
J. C. Berengut ◽  
V. A. Dzuba ◽  
V. V. Flambaum ◽  
J. A. King ◽  
M. G. Kozlov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Structure Constant ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
The Other ◽  
Fine Structure Constant ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Fundamental Constants ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis ◽  
The Universe

Current theories that seek to unify gravity with the other fundamental interactions suggest that spatial and temporal variation of fundamental constants is a possibility, or even a necessity, in an expanding Universe. Several studies have tried to probe the values of constants at earlier stages in the evolution of the Universe, using tools such as big-bang nucleosynthesis, the Oklo natural nuclear reactor, quasar absorption spectra, and atomic clocks (see, e.g. Flambaum & Berengut (2009)).

scholarly journals The Radiation-Dominated Universe in Nonstandard Cosmology

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Günter Scharf ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Evolution Equations ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
The Other ◽  
Spherically Symmetric ◽  
Velocity Perturbation ◽  
Model Universe ◽  
Cosmic Evolution ◽  
Big Crunch ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
Irregular Singular Points

We continue the recent study of our model theory of low-density cosmology without dark matter. We assume a purely radiative spherically symmetric background and treat matter as anisotropic perturbations. Einstein’s equations for the background are solved numerically. We find two irregular singular points, one is the Big Bang and the other a Big Crunch. The radiation temperature continues to decrease for another 0.21 Hubble times and then starts to increase towards infinity. Then we derive the four evolution equations for the anisotropic perturbations. In the Regge- Wheeler gauge there are three metric perturbations and a radial velocity perturbation. The solution of these equations allow a detailed discussion of the cosmic evolution of the model universe under study.

scholarly journals Nonlinear matter terms in general scalar–tensor braneworld cosmology

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 1950138
Author(s):  
Kevin F. S. Pardede ◽  
Agus Suroso ◽  
Freddy P. Zen
Keyword(s):  
Big Bang ◽  
Accelerated Expansion ◽  
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis ◽  
Braneworld Cosmology ◽  
Strongly Coupled ◽  
Weakly Coupled ◽  
General Scalar ◽  
Bulk Scalar Field ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
Correction Terms

A five-dimensional braneworld cosmological model in general scalar–tensor action that is comprised of various Horndeski Lagrangians is considered. The Friedmann equations in the case of strongly and weakly coupled [Formula: see text] Horndeski Lagrangians have been obtained. The strongly coupled [Formula: see text] model produces the Cardassian term [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text], which can serve as an alternative explanation for the accelerated expansion phase of the universe. Furthermore, the latest combined observational facts from BAO, CMB, SNIa, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] value observation suggest that the [Formula: see text] term lies quite close to the constrained value. On the other hand, the weakly coupled [Formula: see text] case has several new correction terms which are omitted in the braneworld Einstein–Hilbert model, e.g. the cubic [Formula: see text] and the dark radiation–matter interaction term [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, this model provides a cosmological constant constructed from the bulk scalar field, requires no brane tension and supports the big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) constraint naturally.

Deuterium in the Galaxy

1977 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Great Majority ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Baryon Density ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Mass Fractions ◽  
Expansion Of The Universe ◽  
Sensitive Function ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
Deuterium Production ◽  
The Universe

There have been a number of attempts made in the last decade or two to observe deuterium in parts of the universe other than here in Earth. It is of interest merely to detect deuterium elsewhere just as it is to detect the occurrence of any nuclide. However in the case of deuterium there is a special interest because in big-bang cosmologies the great majority of deuterium in the universe is considered to have been formed in the initial fireball (Wagoner, 1973). Any observation of the present abundance of deuterium thus might give information about the very early stages of the creation of the universe. Detailed studies of nucleosynthesis during the early expansion of hot big-bang universes have however indicated a particular feature of deuterium production. (Fig. 1) The mass fraction produced X(D) is a very sensitive function of the size of the universe, as measured say by the present baryon density ϱb. Other nuclides that are mainly produced in the early expansion, such as 4He, have mass fractions less dependent on ϱb. Thus if we adopt the big-bang model for our universe we can determine ϱb from observations of X(D). Apart from any intrinsic interest in the present density of the’universe, there is considerable interest in whether the value is great enough for the present expansion to halt and go over to a collapse — or so small that the expansion of the universe will go on forever.

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