Chemical paradox in a binary system: Exploring metal enrichment in HD 81809B

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Auteurs principaux: Moedas, Nuno, Di Mauro, Maria Pia
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2026
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author Moedas, Nuno
Di Mauro, Maria Pia
author_facet Moedas, Nuno
Di Mauro, Maria Pia
contents The HD 81809 system presents peculiar chemical composition with a large metallicity difference between its two components: the primary has low metallicity ([Fe/H]=-0.57 dex), while the secondary has approximately solar metallicity ([Fe/H]=0.0 dex). This study investigates whether the chemical enrichment of HD 81809B can be reconciled by a planetary engulfment event, consistent with the star's evolutionary constraints. Using Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) code, we model HD 81809B introducing accretion events with different ranges of masses and chemical mixtures to understand their impact in the surface chemical composition. Our simulation shows that reproducing the observed surface [Fe/H] in HD 81809B requires a substantial accretion event. To reach the observed metallicity, the star must engulf 25 to 75 $M_\oplus$ of metals near its current age. Accretion brings the effective temperature of stellar models closer to the observed one; however, the lithium results over-enriched. In order to reproduce the abundance of this element, the star must accrete less than 6 $M_\oplus$. These results suggest that a planetary accretion event is plausible in the evolution of HD 81809B; however, the chemical composition of the accreted material may differ from the assumptions adopted here. Nevertheless, this study emphasizes the importance of considering such external events when modeling chemically anomalous binary systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_31060
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Chemical paradox in a binary system: Exploring metal enrichment in HD 81809B
Moedas, Nuno
Di Mauro, Maria Pia
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
The HD 81809 system presents peculiar chemical composition with a large metallicity difference between its two components: the primary has low metallicity ([Fe/H]=-0.57 dex), while the secondary has approximately solar metallicity ([Fe/H]=0.0 dex). This study investigates whether the chemical enrichment of HD 81809B can be reconciled by a planetary engulfment event, consistent with the star's evolutionary constraints. Using Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) code, we model HD 81809B introducing accretion events with different ranges of masses and chemical mixtures to understand their impact in the surface chemical composition. Our simulation shows that reproducing the observed surface [Fe/H] in HD 81809B requires a substantial accretion event. To reach the observed metallicity, the star must engulf 25 to 75 $M_\oplus$ of metals near its current age. Accretion brings the effective temperature of stellar models closer to the observed one; however, the lithium results over-enriched. In order to reproduce the abundance of this element, the star must accrete less than 6 $M_\oplus$. These results suggest that a planetary accretion event is plausible in the evolution of HD 81809B; however, the chemical composition of the accreted material may differ from the assumptions adopted here. Nevertheless, this study emphasizes the importance of considering such external events when modeling chemically anomalous binary systems.
title Chemical paradox in a binary system: Exploring metal enrichment in HD 81809B
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.31060