Unveiling HIP 8522: A Curious Young Solar Twin with Puzzlingly Low Lithium

HIP 8522 is a young solar twin with an unusually low lithium abundance, significantly lower than expected for a star of its age. Lithium is typically depleted gradually in stars, but HIP 8522, despite being less than 1 billion years old, shows a level similar to much older stars. The study suggests two possible explanations for this: HIP 8522 could be a field blue straggler formed from a stellar merger, or it may have undergone episodic accretion, possibly engulfing a nearby object early in its history. This star challenges existing models of stellar evolution, particularly regarding lithium depletion.