Metal Pollution in Sun-like Stars from Destruction of Ultra–short-period Planets
Chemical evidence indicates that an appreciable fraction of Sun-like stars have engulfed rocky planets during their main-sequence lifetimes. We investigate whether the tidal evolution and destruction of ultra–short-period planets (USPs) can explain this phenomenon. We develop a simple parameterized...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ada1ce |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841557122172583936 |
|---|---|
| author | Christopher E. O’Connor Dong Lai |
| author_facet | Christopher E. O’Connor Dong Lai |
| author_sort | Christopher E. O’Connor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chemical evidence indicates that an appreciable fraction of Sun-like stars have engulfed rocky planets during their main-sequence lifetimes. We investigate whether the tidal evolution and destruction of ultra–short-period planets (USPs) can explain this phenomenon. We develop a simple parameterized model for the formation and engulfment of USPs in a population of main-sequence stars. With this model, it is possible to reproduce both the observed occurrence rate of USPs and the frequency of planet-engulfing Sun-like stars for a reasonable range of USP formation rates and tidal decay lifetimes. Our results support a theory of USP formation through gradual inward migration over many gigayears and suggest that engulfment occurs ~0.1–1 Gyr after formation. This lifetime is set by tidal dissipation in the USP itself instead of the host star, due to the perturbing influence of external companions. If USP engulfment is the main source of pollution among Sun-like stars, we predict a correlation between pollution and compact multiplanet systems; some 5%–10% of polluted stars should have a transiting planet of mass ≳ 5 M _⊕ and period ~4–12 days. We also predict an anticorrelation between pollution and USP occurrence. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-62ac32f81e24495b99e6384c015ea753 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-62ac32f81e24495b99e6384c015ea7532025-01-06T16:43:22ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052025-01-019782L2610.3847/2041-8213/ada1ceMetal Pollution in Sun-like Stars from Destruction of Ultra–short-period PlanetsChristopher E. O’Connor0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3987-3776Dong Lai1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1934-6250Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA), Northwestern University , 1800 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60201, USA ; christopher.oconnor@northwestern.edu; Department of Astronomy and Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USADepartment of Astronomy and Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 201210, People's Republic of ChinaChemical evidence indicates that an appreciable fraction of Sun-like stars have engulfed rocky planets during their main-sequence lifetimes. We investigate whether the tidal evolution and destruction of ultra–short-period planets (USPs) can explain this phenomenon. We develop a simple parameterized model for the formation and engulfment of USPs in a population of main-sequence stars. With this model, it is possible to reproduce both the observed occurrence rate of USPs and the frequency of planet-engulfing Sun-like stars for a reasonable range of USP formation rates and tidal decay lifetimes. Our results support a theory of USP formation through gradual inward migration over many gigayears and suggest that engulfment occurs ~0.1–1 Gyr after formation. This lifetime is set by tidal dissipation in the USP itself instead of the host star, due to the perturbing influence of external companions. If USP engulfment is the main source of pollution among Sun-like stars, we predict a correlation between pollution and compact multiplanet systems; some 5%–10% of polluted stars should have a transiting planet of mass ≳ 5 M _⊕ and period ~4–12 days. We also predict an anticorrelation between pollution and USP occurrence.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ada1ceExoplanet dynamicsExoplanet tidesExtrasolar rocky planetsStar-planet interactions |
| spellingShingle | Christopher E. O’Connor Dong Lai Metal Pollution in Sun-like Stars from Destruction of Ultra–short-period Planets The Astrophysical Journal Letters Exoplanet dynamics Exoplanet tides Extrasolar rocky planets Star-planet interactions |
| title | Metal Pollution in Sun-like Stars from Destruction of Ultra–short-period Planets |
| title_full | Metal Pollution in Sun-like Stars from Destruction of Ultra–short-period Planets |
| title_fullStr | Metal Pollution in Sun-like Stars from Destruction of Ultra–short-period Planets |
| title_full_unstemmed | Metal Pollution in Sun-like Stars from Destruction of Ultra–short-period Planets |
| title_short | Metal Pollution in Sun-like Stars from Destruction of Ultra–short-period Planets |
| title_sort | metal pollution in sun like stars from destruction of ultra short period planets |
| topic | Exoplanet dynamics Exoplanet tides Extrasolar rocky planets Star-planet interactions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ada1ce |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christophereoconnor metalpollutioninsunlikestarsfromdestructionofultrashortperiodplanets AT donglai metalpollutioninsunlikestarsfromdestructionofultrashortperiodplanets |