Astronomers have discovered a new star that is 30 times larger than the sun and could force a major rethink of stellar evolution theories. The star, designated J0524-0336 and located around 30,000 light-years from Earth, has a shockingly high concentration of the element lithium when compared to the sun at its current age or other stars of similarly advanced ages.
This is an issue for our understanding of how stars forge heavier elements via nuclear fusion because lithium is a light element; current models suggest light elements are lost through this process in favor of heavier elements like carbon and oxygen.
Not only is J0524-0336 rich in lithium, but it also has a corresponding lack of heavy elements.
Astronomers discovered J0524-0336 while hunting for older stars in the Milky Way. The star is in the latter stages of its life, meaning it is classed as an "evolved star," and is swelling up, with the increase in size also making it brighter.
"We found that J0524-0336 contains 100,000 times more lithium than the sun does at its current age," team leader and University of Florida researcher Rana Ezzeddine said in a statement. "This amount challenges the prevailing models of how stars evolve and may suggest a previously unknown mechanism for lithium production or retention in stars."
This is an issue for our understanding of how stars forge heavier elements via nuclear fusion because lithium is a light element; current models suggest light elements are lost through this process in favor of heavier elements like carbon and oxygen.
Not only is J0524-0336 rich in lithium, but it also has a corresponding lack of heavy elements.
Astronomers discovered J0524-0336 while hunting for older stars in the Milky Way. The star is in the latter stages of its life, meaning it is classed as an "evolved star," and is swelling up, with the increase in size also making it brighter.
"We found that J0524-0336 contains 100,000 times more lithium than the sun does at its current age," team leader and University of Florida researcher Rana Ezzeddine said in a statement. "This amount challenges the prevailing models of how stars evolve and may suggest a previously unknown mechanism for lithium production or retention in stars."
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