Bibcode
DOI
Martin, E. L.; Torres, C. A. O.; da Silva, L.; Drake, N. A.; de La Reza, R.
Bibliographical reference
Astrophysical Journal Letters v.482, p.L77
Advertised on:
6
1997
Citations
101
Refereed citations
75
Description
A model scenario has recently been introduced by de la Reza and
colleagues to explain the presence of very strong Li lines in the
spectra of some low-mass K giant stars. In this scenario all ordinary,
Li-poor, K giants become Li rich during a short time (~105 yr) when
compared to the red giant phase of 5 x 107 yr. In this "Li period," a
large number of the stars are associated with an expanding thin
circumstellar shell supposedly triggered by an abrupt internal mixing
mechanism resulting in a surface new 7Li enrichment. This Letter
presents nearly 40 Li-rich K giants known up to now. The distribution of
these Li-rich giants, along with 41 other observed K giants that have
shells but are not Li rich, in a color-color IRAS diagram confirms this
scenario, which indicates, also as a new result, that a rapid Li
depletion takes place on a timescale of between ~103 and 105 yr. This
model explains the problem of the presence of K giants with far-infrared
excesses presented by Zuckerman and colleagues. Other present and future
tests of this scenario are briefly discussed.