An abundance of small exoplanets around stars with a wide range of metallicities

Lars A. Buchhave; David W. Latham; Anders Johansen; Martin Bizzarro; Guillermo Torres; Jason F. Rowe; Natalie M. Batalha; William J. Borucki; Erik Brugamyer; Caroline Caldwell; Stephen T. Bryson; David R. Ciardi; William D. Cochran; Michael Endl; Gilbert A. Esquerdo; Eric B. Ford; John C. Geary; Ronald L. Gilliland; Terese Hansen; Howard Isaacson; John B. Laird; Philip W. Lucas; Geoffrey W. Marcy; Jon A. Morse; Paul Robertson; Avi Shporer; Robert P. Stefanik; Martin Still; Samuel N. Quinn

doi:10.1038/nature11121

An abundance of small exoplanets around stars with a wide range of metallicities

Lars A. Buchhave, David W. Latham, Anders Johansen, Martin Bizzarro, Guillermo Torres, Jason F. Rowe, Natalie M. Batalha, William J. Borucki, Erik Brugamyer, Caroline Caldwell, Stephen T. Bryson, David R. Ciardi, William D. Cochran, Michael Endl, Gilbert A. Esquerdo, Eric B. Ford, John C. Geary, Ronald L. Gilliland, Terese Hansen, Howard IsaacsonJohn B. Laird, Philip W. Lucas, Geoffrey W. Marcy, Jon A. Morse, Paul Robertson, Avi Shporer, Robert P. Stefanik, Martin Still, Samuel N. Quinn

Astrophysics and Planetary Science

394 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The abundance of heavy elements (metallicity) in the photospheres of stars similar to the Sun provides a fossil record of the chemical composition of the initial protoplanetary disk. Metal-rich stars are much more likely to harbour gas giant planets, supporting the model that planets form by accumulation of dust and ice particles. Recent ground-based surveys suggest that this correlation is weakened for Neptunian-sized planets. However, how the relationship between size and metallicity extends into the regime of terrestrial-sized exoplanets is unknown. Here we report spectroscopic metallicities of the host stars of 226 small exoplanet candidates discovered by NASAs Kepler mission, including objects that are comparable in size to the terrestrial planets in the Solar System. We find that planets with radii less than four Earth radii form around host stars with a wide range of metallicities (but on average a metallicity close to that of the Sun), whereas large planets preferentially form around stars with higher metallicities. This observation suggests that terrestrial planets may be widespread in the disk of the Galaxy, with no special requirement of enhanced metallicity for their formation.

Original language	English
Journal	Nature
Volume	486
Issue number	7403
Pages (from-to)	375-377
Number of pages	3
ISSN	0028-0836
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11121
Publication status	Published - 21 Jun 2012

Access to Document

10.1038/nature11121

Cite this

Buchhave, L. A., Latham, D. W., Johansen, A., Bizzarro, M., Torres, G., Rowe, J. F., Batalha, N. M., Borucki, W. J., Brugamyer, E., Caldwell, C., Bryson, S. T., Ciardi, D. R., Cochran, W. D., Endl, M., Esquerdo, G. A., Ford, E. B., Geary, J. C., Gilliland, R. L., Hansen, T., ... Quinn, S. N. (2012). An abundance of small exoplanets around stars with a wide range of metallicities. Nature, 486(7403), 375-377. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11121

Buchhave, LA, Latham, DW, Johansen, A, Bizzarro, M, Torres, G, Rowe, JF, Batalha, NM, Borucki, WJ, Brugamyer, E, Caldwell, C, Bryson, ST, Ciardi, DR, Cochran, WD, Endl, M, Esquerdo, GA, Ford, EB, Geary, JC, Gilliland, RL, Hansen, T, Isaacson, H, Laird, JB, Lucas, PW, Marcy, GW, Morse, JA, Robertson, P, Shporer, A, Stefanik, RP, Still, M & Quinn, SN 2012, 'An abundance of small exoplanets around stars with a wide range of metallicities', Nature, vol. 486, no. 7403, pp. 375-377. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11121

@article{13cca52dd7d64e3fa209dc4d6af1fe1e,

title = "An abundance of small exoplanets around stars with a wide range of metallicities",

abstract = "The abundance of heavy elements (metallicity) in the photospheres of stars similar to the Sun provides a fossil record of the chemical composition of the initial protoplanetary disk. Metal-rich stars are much more likely to harbour gas giant planets, supporting the model that planets form by accumulation of dust and ice particles. Recent ground-based surveys suggest that this correlation is weakened for Neptunian-sized planets. However, how the relationship between size and metallicity extends into the regime of terrestrial-sized exoplanets is unknown. Here we report spectroscopic metallicities of the host stars of 226 small exoplanet candidates discovered by NASAs Kepler mission, including objects that are comparable in size to the terrestrial planets in the Solar System. We find that planets with radii less than four Earth radii form around host stars with a wide range of metallicities (but on average a metallicity close to that of the Sun), whereas large planets preferentially form around stars with higher metallicities. This observation suggests that terrestrial planets may be widespread in the disk of the Galaxy, with no special requirement of enhanced metallicity for their formation.",

author = "Buchhave, {Lars A.} and Latham, {David W.} and Anders Johansen and Martin Bizzarro and Guillermo Torres and Rowe, {Jason F.} and Batalha, {Natalie M.} and Borucki, {William J.} and Erik Brugamyer and Caroline Caldwell and Bryson, {Stephen T.} and Ciardi, {David R.} and Cochran, {William D.} and Michael Endl and Esquerdo, {Gilbert A.} and Ford, {Eric B.} and Geary, {John C.} and Gilliland, {Ronald L.} and Terese Hansen and Howard Isaacson and Laird, {John B.} and Lucas, {Philip W.} and Marcy, {Geoffrey W.} and Morse, {Jon A.} and Paul Robertson and Avi Shporer and Stefanik, {Robert P.} and Martin Still and Quinn, {Samuel N.}",

year = "2012",

month = jun,

day = "21",

doi = "10.1038/nature11121",

language = "English",

volume = "486",

pages = "375--377",

journal = "Nature",

issn = "0028-0836",

publisher = "nature publishing group",

number = "7403",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - An abundance of small exoplanets around stars with a wide range of metallicities

AU - Buchhave, Lars A.

AU - Latham, David W.

AU - Johansen, Anders

AU - Bizzarro, Martin

AU - Torres, Guillermo

AU - Rowe, Jason F.

AU - Batalha, Natalie M.

AU - Borucki, William J.

AU - Brugamyer, Erik

AU - Caldwell, Caroline

AU - Bryson, Stephen T.

AU - Ciardi, David R.

AU - Cochran, William D.

AU - Endl, Michael

AU - Esquerdo, Gilbert A.

AU - Ford, Eric B.

AU - Geary, John C.

AU - Gilliland, Ronald L.

AU - Hansen, Terese

AU - Isaacson, Howard

AU - Laird, John B.

AU - Lucas, Philip W.

AU - Marcy, Geoffrey W.

AU - Morse, Jon A.

AU - Robertson, Paul

AU - Shporer, Avi

AU - Stefanik, Robert P.

AU - Still, Martin

AU - Quinn, Samuel N.

PY - 2012/6/21

Y1 - 2012/6/21

N2 - The abundance of heavy elements (metallicity) in the photospheres of stars similar to the Sun provides a fossil record of the chemical composition of the initial protoplanetary disk. Metal-rich stars are much more likely to harbour gas giant planets, supporting the model that planets form by accumulation of dust and ice particles. Recent ground-based surveys suggest that this correlation is weakened for Neptunian-sized planets. However, how the relationship between size and metallicity extends into the regime of terrestrial-sized exoplanets is unknown. Here we report spectroscopic metallicities of the host stars of 226 small exoplanet candidates discovered by NASAs Kepler mission, including objects that are comparable in size to the terrestrial planets in the Solar System. We find that planets with radii less than four Earth radii form around host stars with a wide range of metallicities (but on average a metallicity close to that of the Sun), whereas large planets preferentially form around stars with higher metallicities. This observation suggests that terrestrial planets may be widespread in the disk of the Galaxy, with no special requirement of enhanced metallicity for their formation.

AB - The abundance of heavy elements (metallicity) in the photospheres of stars similar to the Sun provides a fossil record of the chemical composition of the initial protoplanetary disk. Metal-rich stars are much more likely to harbour gas giant planets, supporting the model that planets form by accumulation of dust and ice particles. Recent ground-based surveys suggest that this correlation is weakened for Neptunian-sized planets. However, how the relationship between size and metallicity extends into the regime of terrestrial-sized exoplanets is unknown. Here we report spectroscopic metallicities of the host stars of 226 small exoplanet candidates discovered by NASAs Kepler mission, including objects that are comparable in size to the terrestrial planets in the Solar System. We find that planets with radii less than four Earth radii form around host stars with a wide range of metallicities (but on average a metallicity close to that of the Sun), whereas large planets preferentially form around stars with higher metallicities. This observation suggests that terrestrial planets may be widespread in the disk of the Galaxy, with no special requirement of enhanced metallicity for their formation.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84862569033&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/nature11121

DO - 10.1038/nature11121

M3 - Letter

AN - SCOPUS:84862569033

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 486

SP - 375

EP - 377

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

IS - 7403

ER -

An abundance of small exoplanets around stars with a wide range of metallicities

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this