Lithium, being the lightest of the heavy metals is generated during the astrophysical interactions, but until recently, its exact reproduction of the source remained unknown.
Recently, however, a group of researchers in astrophysics from the Astrophysics Institute of Andalusia, spotted a large amount of beryllia-7, unstable element, which decays to lithium for 53 days – and discovered the item inside of a new star Sagittarii N. 2 2015.
This suggests that the main source of lithium in the galaxy is just new stars, including supernova. In fact, any chemical element, there are astrophysical “ancestor” – most of the known elements were formed inside stars.
Through the mixing of other elements in stars occurred. The formation of these elements began in the core of a star that through the mixing of hydrogen and helium, and then as long as the metal does not take shape in his “heavy” incarnation. And such processes in space as supernova explosions are accompanied by the distribution of elements such as gold, copper and lead, which are then secondarily serve as the basis for new stars.
Onion, Izzo, project team leader, indicates that 25% of the existing lithium originates from the primary nucleosynthesis, and the remaining 75% are a mystery in terms of origin. But now that scientists have carefully analyzed the composition of stars 2015 Sagittarii No. 2, they found the presence of beryllium, which decays into lithium.
This led them to the conclusion that the main source of lithium production in the galaxy are new stars formed in the chemical “remains” of old, extinguished stars. Moreover, conducting measurements using ESO telescope, astrophysicists have been able to note the incredibly large amount of beryllium in this star. Translating it in a similar amount of lithium, the scientists point out that it exceeds the amount of lithium in the Sun, which can not surprise.
