Assess the evolution of starspot effects across stellar mass and age

Assess the dependence of starspot effects on stellar mass and age by developing a complete evaluation of how spot coverage and temperature influence lithium measurements throughout pre-main-sequence evolution.

Background

The paper argues that starspots can produce an apparent lithium-equivalent-width dispersion through surface temperature inhomogeneities, but that the importance of this effect likely changes as magnetic activity and spot coverage evolve. The authors note that existing studies do not yet provide a complete assessment of how starspot properties vary with both stellar mass and age.

Resolving this dependence is important for interpreting lithium spreads, correcting young-star age estimates, and determining when intrinsic lithium-abundance differences become necessary to explain observations.

References

Although some studies \citep[e.g.][]{jackson2014effect,Jeffries2017vel,somers2020spots,Franciosini2022pmsLi} consider the effects of spots, we still lack a complete assessment of spots versus mass and age.

— The Contribution of Starspots to the Lithium Spread in NGC 2264  (2609.19653 - Luo et al., 17 Sep 2026) in Section 5.2, “Implications for Lithium Scatter and Age Determinations”