Searching for signatures of planet formation in stars with circumstellar debris discs

TL;DR

This study investigates chemical abundance patterns in stars with debris discs and planets, revealing correlations between element trends and planetary types, and suggesting links between debris discs and low-mass planets.

Contribution

It provides a homogeneous analysis of metallicity and element abundances across different star samples, highlighting new correlations between <[X/Fe]>-Tc trends and planetary characteristics.

Findings

Stars with debris discs and planets share similar <[X/Fe]>-Tc trends.

Negative <[X/Fe]>-Tc slopes are found in cool giant planet hosts.

Stars with close-in giant planets show higher metallicities.

Abstract

(Abridged) Tentative correlations between the presence of dusty debris discs and low-mass planets have been presented. In parallel, detailed chemical abundance studies have reported different trends between samples of planet and non-planet hosts. We determine in a homogeneous way the metallicity, and abundances of a sample of 251 stars including stars with known debris discs, with debris discs and planets, and only with planets. Stars with debris discs and planets have the same [Fe/H] behaviour as stars hosting planets, and they also show a similar <[X/Fe]>-Tc trend. Different behaviour in the <[X/Fe]>-Tc trend is found between the samples of stars without planets and the samples of planet hosts. In particular, when considering only refractory elements, negative slopes are shown in cool giant planet hosts, whilst positive ones are shown in stars hosting low-mass planets. Stars hosting exclusively close-in giant planets show higher metallicities and positive <[X/Fe]>-Tc slope. A search for correlations between the <[X/Fe]>-Tc slopes and the stellar properties reveals a moderate but significant correlation with the stellar radius and as well as a weak correlation with the stellar age. The fact that stars with debris discs and stars with low-mass planets do not show neither metal enhancement nor a different <[X/Fe]>-Tc trend might indicate a correlation between the presence of debris discs and the presence of low-mass planets. We extend results from previous works which reported differences in the <[X/Fe]>-Tc trends between planet hosts and non hosts. However, these differences tend to be present only when the star hosts a cool distant planet and not in stars hosting exclusively low-mass planets.