Classical nova explosions are major lithium factories in the universe
Thursday, February 19, 2015 - 10:00
in Astronomy & Space
Astronomers observed Nova Delphini 2013 which occurred on August 14, 2013. They discovered that the outburst is producing a large amount of lithium (Li). Lithium is a key element in the study of the chemical evolution of the universe because it likely was and is produced in several ways: through Big Bang nucleosynthesis, in collisions between energetic cosmic rays and the interstellar medium, inside stellar interiors, and as a result of novae and supernova explosions. This new observation provides the first direct evidence for the supply of Li from stellar objects to the galactic medium.