2024-08-17 00:56:42
A newly discovered star presents astronomers with a mystery. It contradicts all theories about the composition of such celestial bodies.
The older and larger a star becomes, the more heavy elements such as carbon and oxygen it contains. That’s the theory. A newly discovered star is now turning this scientific assumption on its head and forcing researchers to rethink, according to a study by a team of astronomers.
The star, designated “J0524-0336,” is about 30 times larger than our sun, write the researchers led by Rana Ezzeddine and Jeremy Kowkabany of the University of California.
Despite its enormous size, it has an exorbitantly high concentration of the light element lithium, which should not be present in such quantities. Until now, scientists assumed that stars replace lighter elements such as lithium with heavier elements when they burn.
“We found that ‘J0524-0336’ contains about 100,000 times more lithium than the Sun at its current age,” the researchers write. This challenges the prevailing models of star formation and could indicate an unknown mechanism of lithium production or storage in stars, they continue.
The scientists immediately provide possible explanations for the high lithium content of “J0524-0336”. One theory: A lithium-rich planet recently swallowed by the large star could be responsible for the high content of the element. Another possibility could be that the star is in a previously unobserved phase of evolution.
The researchers believe that, given the enormous amount of lithium available, it could be either possibility. They plan to conduct further research to confirm this theory.
How can the compositions of other planets and stars be determined? To do this, the researchers used the spectroscopy method. Using a spectrograph attached to a telescope, the light captured by the celestial body can be broken down into its various colors.
These colors reveal the number and individual components of the elements that make up the celestial body. Researchers also use this method to look for signs of oxygen, water and methane in the atmospheres of other planets in order to find extraterrestrial life.