Lithium-rich stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Abstract

We report the discovery of 23 lithium-rich post-main-sequence stars, identified from moderate-resolution SDSS spectroscopy and confirmed with high-resolution spectra taken at the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. These new Li-rich stars cover a broad range in mass and evolutionary phase, including bright giants and post-AGB stars. The process responsible for preserving or producing excess lithium in a small fraction of evolved stars remains unclear.