Condensation temperature trends among stars with planets

Abstract

Results from detailed spectroscopic analyses of stars hosting massive planets are employed to search for trends between abundances and condensation temperatures. The elements C, S, Na, Mg, Al, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni and Zn are included in the analysis of 64 stars with planets and 33 comparison stars. No significant trends are evident in the data. This null result suggests that accretion of rocky material onto the photospheres of stars with planets is not the primary explanation for their high metallicities. However, the differences between the solar photospheric and meteoritic abundances do display a weak but significant trend with condensation temperature. This suggests that the metallicity of the sun's envelope has been enriched relative to its interior by about 0.07 dex.