High-Resolution Abundance Analysis of Stars with Small Planets Discovered by Kepler
Date
2015
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College of Natural and Health Sciences, The University of Tampa
Abstract
Using high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio Keck/HIRES spectra we have derived the parameters and abundances of 17elements of four planetary host stars discovered by Kepler: Kepler-97, Kepler-128, Kepler-131, and Kepler-411. All four stars are known to host small planets (from 0.8 to 1.8 Earth radii), and densities have been determined for planets in two of the systems. We find the metallicities of the stars to range from [Fe/H] = −0.17to [Fe/H]= +0.13 (on a scale where the Sun has a metallicity of [Fe/H]= 0.00). This suggests that small planet formation occurs over a wide range of metallicities, in contrast to large, Jupiter-size planets which have been shown to form preferentially in high-metallicity environments. In addition, our four stars are found to have elemental abundances which fall along trends defined by a large sample of stars within the disk of the Galaxy. Based on this result, small planets appear to form around stars that have compositions typical of the general Galactic population. The detailed compositions of these host stars, along with densities of small planets, will provide important constraints for models of small planet formation.
Description
Recommended Citation: Williams, Drake C. . “High-Resolution Abundance Analysis of Stars with Small Planets Discovered by Kepler.” Acta Spartae, 2015. https://doi.org/10.48497/5DNP-B094.
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Keywords
Department of Psychology, Department of Physics, Kepler, Stars, Planets, Research Subject Categories::NATURAL SCIENCES
Citation
Williams, Drake C. . “High-Resolution Abundance Analysis of Stars with Small Planets Discovered by Kepler.” Acta Spartae, 2015. https://doi.org/10.48497/5DNP-B094.