# Evolution of lithium in the Milky Way halo, discs and bulge

## TL;DR

This study models the Galactic evolution of lithium across different components, explaining observed lithium decline at high metallicity through nova system behavior and providing predictions for the bulge.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel explanation for lithium decline at high metallicity by linking it to the metallicity-dependent fraction of nova progenitors.

## Key findings

- Novas are confirmed as the main lithium source in the Galaxy.
- A lower fraction of nova progenitors at high metallicity explains lithium decline.
- Predictions for lithium evolution in the Galactic bulge are proposed.

## Abstract

In this work, we study the Galactic evolution of lithium by means of chemical evolution models in the light of the most recent spectroscopic data from Galactic stellar surveys. We consider detailed chemical evolution models for the Milky Way halo, discs and bulge, and we compare our model predictions with the most recent spectroscopic data for these different Galactic components. In particular, we focus on the decrease of lithium at high metallicity observed by the AMBRE Project, the Gaia-ESO Survey, and other spectroscopic surveys, which still remains unexplained by theoretical models. We analyse the various lithium producers and confirm that novae are the main source of lithium in the Galaxy, in agreement with other previous studies. Moreover, we show that, by assuming that the fraction of binary systems giving rise to novae is lower at higher metallicity, we can suggest a novel explanation to the lithium decline at super-solar metallicities: the above assumption is based on independent constraints on the nova system birthrate, that have been recently proposed in the literature. As regards to the thick disc, it is less lithium enhanced due to the shorter timescale of formation and higher star formation efficiency with respect to the thin disc and, therefore, we have a faster evolution and the "reverse knee" in the A(Li) vs. [Fe/H] relation is shifted towards higher metallicities. Finally, we present our predictions about lithium evolution in the Galactic bulge, that, however, still need further data to be confirmed or disproved.