Probing infrared excess connection with Li enhancement among red clump giants

TL;DR

This study investigates the link between infrared excess and lithium enhancement in red giants, suggesting two possible mechanisms involving either in-situ He-flash or merger events, supported by IR modeling and kinematic age analysis.

Contribution

It provides new evidence connecting IR excess with Li-richness in red giants, proposing merger events as a trigger for Li enhancement and IR excess.

Findings

Most Li-rich giants show no IR excess.

IR excess is found in a few super Li-rich giants, often with rapid rotation.

Li enhancement likely occurs recently, associated with merger events or He-flash.

Abstract

We have performed a search among low mass red giants for finding evidence for merger scenario for triggering He-flash and subsequent Li enhancement. We chose a sample of red giants from GALAH survey with well-measured Li abundances, and near and mid-IR fluxes from 2MASS and WISE surveys, respectively. The sample contains 418 cool red clump giants and 359 upper red giant branch giants. Most of the giants and majority of super Li-rich giants show no IR excess. Only five red clump giants and one RGB giant show IR excess. Notably, of the five red clump giants with IR excess, three are super Li-rich (A(Li) > = 3.2 dex), and two are Li-rich (A(Li) > = 1.0 dex). Results suggest Li enhancement among red clump giants may be due to two channels: one resulting from in-situ He-flash in single star evolution and the other due to He-flash triggered by events like merger of He-white dwarfs with giants He-inert core on RGB. In the latter case, IR excess, as a result of mass loss, is expected from merger events. We have modelled IR excess in all six giants using DUSTY code and derived dust parameters. The estimated kinematic ages and time scales of dust envelopes of the super Li-rich phase suggest Li enhancement took place very recently. Further, the analysis shows a significantly higher proportion (four out of five red clump giants) of rapid rotators (vsini > = 8 km/s) among Li-rich giants with IR excess compared to Li-normal and Li-rich giants with no IR excess.