Abstract
The high-quality spectra required for radial velocity planet searches are well suited to providing abundances for a wide array of elements in large samples of stars. Abundance ratios of the most common elements relative to Fe are observed to vary by more than a factor of two in planet host candidates. This level of variation has a substantial impact on the evolution of the host star and the extent of its habitable zone. We present stellar models of 1M ⊙ stars with custom compositions representing the full range of these non-solar abundance ratios. We find that the effects derived from variation over the observed range of [O/Fe] has a particularly dramatic effect. Habitability lifetimes for some classes of orbits can vary by gigayears for the observed range in [O/Fe].
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | L31 |
Journal | Astrophysical Journal Letters |
Volume | 755 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 20 2012 |
Keywords
- stars: abundances
- stars: evolution
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science