Detailed analysis of a sample of Li-rich giants ¹

B. V. Castilho ^1,2 - J. Gregorio-Hetem¹ - F. Spite³ - B. Barbuy¹ - M. Spite³

¹Universidade de São Paulo, CP 3386, São Paulo, SP, 01060-970, Brazil
²Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica, CP 21, Itajubá, MG, 37500-000, Brazil
³Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, DASGAL, URA 8633 CNRS, F-92195 Meudon Cedex, France

Abstract:

A detailed analysis has been carried out for a sample of 16 red giants showing a strong Li I 670.8 nm line. Ten of them were detected in a survey by Castilho et al. (1998), and the other 6 stars are Li-rich giants selected from the literature.

Element abundances in the sample Li-rich giants are similar to those in normal red giants, differing only by their high Li abundance and infrared excess. This suggests that Li-rich giants may correspond to a phase of stellar evolution of normal red giants, when Li is produced and transported to the atmosphere.

stars: atmospheric parameters - stars: abundances - stars: late type giants - stars: evolution - element: Li