Evolution of lithium in the Milky Way

• Grant number: 25/16546-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: March 01, 2026
• End date: February 28, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Stellar Astrophysics
• Principal Investigator: Jorge Luis Melendez Moreno
• Grantee: Anne Viegas Rathsam
• Supervisor: Cristina Chiappini Moraes Leite
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Leibniz-Institut Für Astrophysik Potsdam, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/07617-5 - Lithium and beryllium in solar-type stars, BP.DD

Abstract

The PhD project has focused so far on studying the various internal mechanisms affecting stellar lithium (Li) abundances. Now, the goal of the BEPE project is to expand our work from individual stars to global Galactic-scale processes, by studying the Galactic evolution of Li and potential variations across the Galactic disk. To achieve this, the project is separated into two parts. In the first part, we will trace the chemical evolution of Li considering the effect of age, [Fe/H], and effective temperature for stellar Li depletion. In the second part, we will verify Li abundances for solar analog stars, for which chemical abundances can be determined with high precision, ranging 3 kpc in Galactic guiding radii, to evaluate whether Galactocentric position affects the Li abundance. This could provide important insights on the chemical evolution of this element in the Milky Way. (AU)