Li Abundances in F Class Exoplanetary Host Stars

Li abundances in F stars: planets, rotation and galactic evolution

Authors:

Delgado Mena et al

Abstract:

We find that hot jupiter host stars within the Teff range 5900-6300K show lower Li abundances, by 0.14 dex, than stars without detected planets. This offset has a significance at the level 7σ, pointing to a stronger effect of planet formation on Li abundances when the planets are more massive and migrate close to the star. However, we also find that the average v \textit{sin}i of (a fraction of) stars with hot jupiters is higher on average than for single stars in the same Teff region, suggesting that rotationally-induced mixing (and not the presence of planets) might be the cause for a greater depletion of Li. We confirm that the mass-metallicity dependence of the Li dip is extended towards [Fe/H] ∼ 0.4 dex (beginning at [Fe/H] ∼ -0.4 dex for our stars) and that probably reflects the mass-metallicity correlation of stars of the same Teff on the Main Sequence. We find that for the youngest stars (less than 1.5 Gyr) around the Li dip, the depletion of Li increases with v \textit{sin}i values, as proposed by rotationally-induced depletion models. This suggests that the Li dip consists of fast rotators at young ages whereas the most Li-depleted old stars show lower rotation rates (probably caused by the spin-down during their long lifes). We have also explored the Li evolution with [Fe/H] taking advantage of the metal-rich stars included in our sample. We find that Li abundance reaches its maximum around solar metallicity but decreases in the most metal-rich stars, as predicted by some models of Li Galactic production.