Lithium Enrichment in a Subgiant Star with a Brown Dwarf Companion: A Planetary Engulfment Candidate

TL;DR

This study investigates lithium enrichment in a subgiant star with a brown dwarf companion, supporting planetary engulfment as a plausible cause for the observed lithium excess.

Contribution

It provides observational evidence and modeling that suggest planetary engulfment can explain lithium enrichment in subgiants with massive companions.

Findings

TOI-5882 shows significant lithium enrichment compared to similar stars.

The required engulfed planetary mass is estimated at 9-95 Earth masses.

Lithium excess could result from ingestion of a super-Earth to Neptune-mass planet.

Abstract

Theoretical models predict that subgiants within a narrow mass regime can retain detectable lithium enrichment signatures from planetary engulfment. We test this prediction using TOI-5882, selected because it occupies this favorable subgiant parameter space and hosts a massive brown dwarf ($22 \, M_{ \rm J}$, $P=7.1 \,{\rm d}$) companion capable of dynamically perturbing inner planets. We investigate whether: (1) TOI-5882 exhibits lithium enhancement among similar subgiants, (2) planetary material would be deposited in the convective zone, and (3) the required engulfed mass lies within a plausible range for planetary engulfment. Using spectra from the Tillinghast Reflector Echelle Spectrograph, we measured a Li I equivalent width of $75.39 \pm 3.58$ mA and an abundance of A(Li) $=2.49 \pm 0.12$ dex. Comparing these values to a control sample of 61 subgiants from the GALactic Archaeology with HERMES (GALAH) DR4 survey, we find that TOI-5882 ranks in the 98.4th percentile in both metrics, confirming significant lithium enrichment. We evaluate the engulfment scenario by modeling convective zone deposition and estimating the mass required to reproduce the observed enhancement relative to the control sample. We perform an estimate of the engulfed planetary mass incorporating CI chondritic Li abundances, as planets formed via core accretion are enriched in heavy elements and lithium partitions with these metals. This yields a required engulfed mass of $9$-$95\,M_\oplus$--an order of magnitude lower than the $5.6 \, M_{\rm J}$ implied by proto-solar assumptions. TOI-5882's lithium excess can plausibly result from the ingestion of a super-Earth to Neptune-mass planet, motivating further studies to test this scenario.