ITC Seminar - Melinda Soares-Furtado (Princeton)

Date: 

Monday, November 25, 2019, 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Location: 

Phillips
Probing the Bulk Composition of Exoplanets with Engulfment Events
As a star evolves away from the main sequence and expands in size, close-orbiting substellar companions are engulfed in the process. While such events are not uncommon, the short tidal inspiral timescale makes it challenging to directly observe a planetary engulfment event. However, traces of engulfment can be observed long after the event has transpired. In my most recent work, I explore the strength and survival time of the 7Li enrichment signature in the convective envelopes of cannibal stars. I demonstrate that engulfment signatures are observable at 5-sigma confidence levels up to one billion years after the engulfment event. I describe how cannibal stars can help us refine our understanding of planet formation and stellar evolution.
 
See also: Seminars, 2019 - 20