Enhanced lithium depletion in Sun-like stars with orbiting planets

Garik Israelian (), Elisa Delgado Mena, Nuno C. Santos, Sergio G. Sousa, Michel Mayor, Stephane Udry, Carolina Domínguez Cerdeña, Rafael Rebolo and Sofia Randich
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Garik Israelian: Instituto de Astrofisíca de Canarias, Via Láctea s/n, E-38200 La Laguna,
Elisa Delgado Mena: Instituto de Astrofisíca de Canarias, Via Láctea s/n, E-38200 La Laguna,
Nuno C. Santos: Centro de Astrofisica, Universidade de Porto, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto, Portugal
Sergio G. Sousa: Instituto de Astrofisíca de Canarias, Via Láctea s/n, E-38200 La Laguna,
Michel Mayor: Observatoire de Genève, Université de Genève, 51 ch des Maillettes, CH-1290 Versoix, Swtzerland
Stephane Udry: Observatoire de Genève, Université de Genève, 51 ch des Maillettes, CH-1290 Versoix, Swtzerland
Carolina Domínguez Cerdeña: Instituto de Astrofisíca de Canarias, Via Láctea s/n, E-38200 La Laguna,
Rafael Rebolo: Instituto de Astrofisíca de Canarias, Via Láctea s/n, E-38200 La Laguna,
Sofia Randich: Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio di Arcetri, Largo Fermi 5, I59125 Firenze, Italy

Nature, 2009, vol. 462, issue 7270, 189-191

Abstract: In search of solar lithium Stars similar to the Sun in age, mass and composition show a wide range of lithium abundances, which is hard to explain. The surface lithium abundance of the Sun itself is 140 times less than the primordial Solar System value, yet the Sun's surface convective zone is thought not to extend far enough into the interior to reach regions where lithium can get hot enough to be burned. A new survey of Sun-like stars with and without detected planets now suggests that the planets may hold the key to the Sun's missing lithium. The stars with planets have less than 1% of the primordial lithium abundance, whereas those with no detected planets range more widely, with half of them having about 10% of primordial abundance. It is possible that the presence of protoplanets increases mixing in the stellar disk so that lithium reaches interior regions where the temperatures are sufficient to destroy it.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08483

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