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We present a study of the evolutionary state of a few lithium-rich giant stars based on the Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) parallaxes and photometry. We also investigate the chromospheric activity, the presence of a surface magnetic field, and the radial velocity for our sample stars. We analysed both archive and new data. We gathered archive spectra from several instruments, mainly ELODIE and NARVAL, and we added new data acquired with the spectrograph MUSICOS. We applied the least-squares deconvolution technique to obtain Stokes V and I mean profiles to compute longitudinal magnetic field for a subset. Moreover, for the same subset, we analysed the Ca  ii  H&K emission lines to calculate the S -index. We also derived atmospheric parameters and Li abundances for all 18 stars of our sample. We found that stars previously classified as red giant branch (RGB) may actually be at a different evolutionary state. Furthermore, we identified that most stars in our sample with detection of surface magnetic field show at least moderate rotation velocities, but none the less, we could not detect a magnetic field in two fast rotators. Because of our small sample of magnetic giants, it is difficult to determine if the presence of surface magnetic field and the Li-rich giant phenomena could be somehow linked. The large variation of the radial velocity of part of our sample indicates that some of them might have a binary companion, which may change the way we look at the Li problem in giant stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal interaction governs the redistribution of angular momentum in close binary stars and planetary systems and determines the systems evolution towards the possible equilibrium state. Turbulent friction acting on the equilibrium tide in the convective envelope of low-mass stars is known to have a strong impact on this exchange of angular momentum in binaries. Moreover, theoretical modelling in recent literature as well as presented in this paper suggests that the dissipation of the dynamical tide, constituted of tidal inertial waves propagating in the convective envelope, is weak compared to the dissipation of the equilibrium tide during the red giant phase. This prediction is confirmed when we apply the equilibrium-tide formalism developed by Zahn, Verbunt & Phinney, and Remus, Mathis & Zahn on to the sample of all known red giant binaries observed by the NASA Kepler mission. Moreover, the observations are adequately explained by only invoking the equilibrium tide dissipation. Such ensemble analysis also benefits from the seismic characterization of the oscillating components and surface rotation rates. Through asteroseismology, previous claims of the eccentricity as an evolutionary state diagnostic are discarded. This result is important for our understanding of the evolution of multiple star and planetary systems during advanced stages of stellar evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. We present rotation period measurements for subgiants observed by CoRoT. Interpreting the modulation of stellar light that is caused by star-spots on the time scale of the rotational period depends on knowing the fundamental stellar parameters. Aims. Constraints on the angular momentum distribution can be extracted from the true stellar rotational period. By using models with an internal angular momentum distribution and comparing these with measurements of rotation periods of subgiant stars we investigate the agreement between theoretical predictions and observational results. With this comparison we can also reduce the global stellar parameter space compatible with the rotational period measurements from subgiant light curves. We can prove that an evolution assuming solid body rotation is incompatible with the direct measurement of the rotational periods of subgiant stars. Methods. Measuring the rotation periods relies on two different periodogram procedures, the Lomb-Scargle algorithm and the Plavchan periodogram. Angular momentum evolution models were computed to give us the expected rotation periods for subgiants, which we compared with measured rotational periods. Results. We find evidence of a sinusoidal signal that is compatible in terms of both phase and amplitude with rotational modulation. Rotation periods were directly measured from light curves for 30 subgiant stars and indicate a range of 30 to 100 d for their rotational periods. Conclusions. Our models reproduce the rotational periods obtained from CoRoT light curves. These new measurements of rotation periods and stellar models probe the non-rigid rotation of subgiant stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]