Site Map
Contacts
Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter YouTube channel
Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto

Overabundance of α -elements in exoplanet-hosting stars

V. Zh. Adibekyan, N. C. Santos, S. G. Sousa, G. Israelian, E. Delgado Mena, J. I. González Hernández, M. Mayor, C. Lovis, S. Udry

Abstract
We present the results for a chemical abundance analysis between planet-hosting and stars without planets for 12 refractory elements for a total of 1111 nearby FGK dwarf stars observed within the context of the HARPS GTO programs. Of these stars, 109 are known to harbour high-mass planetary companions and 26 stars are hosting exclusively Neptunians and super-Earths. We found that the [X/Fe] ratios for Mg, Al, Si, Sc, and Ti both for giant and low-mass planet hosts are systematically higher than those of comparison stars at low metallicities ([Fe/H] ≲ from -0.2 to 0.1 dex depending on the element). The most evident discrepancy between planet-hosting and stars without planets is observed for Mg. Our data suggest that the planet incidence is greater among the thick disk population than among the thin disk for mettallicities bellow -0.3 dex. After examining the [α/Fe] trends of the planet host and non-host samples we conclude that a certain chemical composition, and not the Galactic birth place of the stars, is the determinating factor for that. The inspection of the Galactic orbital parameters and kinematics of the planet-hosting stars shows that Neptunian hosts tend to belong to the ”thicker“ disk compared to their high-mass planet-hosting counterparts.We also found that Neptunian hosts follow the distribution of high-α stars in the UW vs V velocities space, but they are more enhanced in Mg than high-α stars without planetary companions. Our results indicate that some metals other than iron may also have an important contribution to planet formation if the amount of iron is low. These results may provide strong constraints for the models of planet formation, especially for planets with low mass.

Keywords
stars: abundances – planetary systems

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume 543, Page A89_1
July 2012

>> ADS>> DOI

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) is a new but long anticipated research infrastructure with a national dimension. It embodies a bold but feasible vision for the development of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, taking full advantage and fully realizing the potential created by the national membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). IA resulted from the merging the two most prominent research units in the field in Portugal: the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon (CAAUL). It currently hosts more than two-thirds of all active researchers working in Space Sciences in Portugal, and is responsible for an even greater fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in the area of Space Sciences. This is the scientific area with the highest relative impact factor (1.65 times above the international average) and the field with the highest average number of citations per article for Portugal.

Proceed on CAUP's website|Go to IA website