Chinese scientists have discovered nine unevolved stars rich in lithium, thanks to China’s largest optical telescope. Lithium is a key chemical element linking cosmology to the structure and evolution of stars, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
With the help of the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), a team led by researchers from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered new unevolved stars rich in lithium, twice as much than previously known.
The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, points out that the stars discovered have unusually high levels of lithium abundance, suggesting that they must have had a history of lithium enrichment.
According to the study, the lithium content of these nine stars is about three times that of the sun. Seven of these nine stars are rapidly rotating, astronomers speculate that the accretion of circumstellar material could be the main factor contributing to the stars’ lithium enrichment.
The lithium enrichment mechanisms of non-evolved stars have been widely discussed, but they still remain very unclear. The detection of the nine new stars in this class could be a breakthrough in this field, the researchers said in a statement released on Tuesday.
LAMOST was commissioned in 2008 to collect high-quality spectra, a collection of data that helps astronomers study the chemical composition, density, atmosphere, and magnetism of celestial bodies.
The telescope has allowed scientists to discover the heaviest stellar black hole and the most lithium-rich giant star.
Further studies will be carried out to confirm these findings. The researchers said LAMOST’s studies of the sky will uncover other unevolved, super-lithium-rich stars.