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C. Laws (Dept. of Astronomy, University of Washington), G. Gonzalez (Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University)
The results of new high-resolution spectroscopic analyses of 30 stars hosting planets and/or brown dwarfs are combined with data from previous studies of stars hosting radial velocity companions to present values of [Fe/H] for a cohort of 77. From this set we define several subsamples and relationships which we use to compare the physical characteristics of stars-with-planets (SWPs) to control groups with similarly measured and well-constrained stellar parameters. We find the distribution of their [Fe/H] values continues the trend, uncovered in previous studies, that they have a higher mean value than otherwise similar nearby stars. We also offer preliminary findings which suggest a significant correlation between the incidence of radial velocity companions and the mass of the parent stars. This early glimpse of the mass function of SWPs represents a critical constraint to both models of planetary system evoluion as well as to the distrinbution of planetary systems in our galaxy. This work was supported by a grant from the National Astrobiology Institute.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: laws@astro.washington.edu
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #4
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.