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Bayesian constraints on the origin and geology of exoplanetary material using a population of externally polluted white dwarfs

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Harrison, JHD 
Bonsor, A 
Kama, M 
Buchan, AM 
Blouin, S 

Abstract

White dwarfs that have accreted planetary bodies are a powerful probe of the bulk composition of exoplanetary material. In this paper, we present a Bayesian model to explain the abundances observed in the atmospheres of 202 DZ white dwarfs by considering the heating, geochemical differentiation, and collisional processes experienced by the planetary bodies accreted, as well as gravitational sinking. The majority (>60%) of systems are consistent with the accretion of primitive material. We attribute the small spread in refractory abundances observed to a similar spread in the initial planet-forming material, as seen in the compositions of nearby stars. A range in Na abundances in the pollutant material is attributed to a range in formation temperatures from below 1,000K to higher than 1,400K, suggesting that pollutant material arrives in white dwarf atmospheres from a variety of radial locations. We also find that Solar System-like differentiation is common place in exo-planetary systems. Extreme siderophile (Fe, Ni or Cr) abundances in 8 systems require the accretion of a core-rich fragment of a larger differentiated body to at least a 3sigma significance, whilst one system shows evidence that it accreted a crust-rich fragment. In systems where the abundances suggest that accretion has finished (13/202), the total mass accreted can be calculated. The 13 systems are estimated to have accreted masses ranging from the mass of the Moon to half that of Vesta. Our analysis suggests that accretion continues for 11Myrs on average.

Description

Keywords

minor planets, asteroids: general, planets and satellites: formation, composition, protoplanetary discs, stars: abundances, white dwarfs

Journal Title

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0035-8711
1365-2966

Volume Title

504

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Rights

Publisher's own licence
Sponsorship
Royal Society (DH150088)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions (753799)