Stellar Li depletion and Galactic evolution
Late-type stars deplete their atmospheric lithium abundance on the main sequence in a way that depends on mass, metallicity, age and possibly other parameters (rotation rate, activity. presence of binary companion or planets). There are still many unanswered questions about the evolution of this unique element in the Galaxy and in the stars themselves; it is unclear which parameters and physical mechanisms that govern Li depletion and if Galactic enrichment has proceeded differently in different stellar populations. With this study we aim to explore these questions further by mapping the evolution of Li with age, stellar mass, and metallicity for Milky Way disk and halo stars. GALAH DR2 contains an unprecedented large sample of stars with Li measurements, which in combination with Gaia DR2-informed masses and ages can lead to novel insights on atmospheric depletion for low mass main sequence stars.
