We report the discovery of a new exceptional young lithium-rich giant, KIC 9821622, in the Kepler field that exhibits an unusually large enhancement of α, Fe-peak, and r-process elements. From high-resolution spectra obtained with GRACES at Gemini North, we derived fundamental parameters and detailed chemical abundances of 23 elements from equivalent widths and synthesis analysis. By combining atmospheric stellar parameters with available asteroseismic data, we obtained the stellar mass, radius, and age. The data analysis reveals that KIC 9821622 is a Li-rich (A(Li) NLTE = 1.80 ± 0.2) intermediate-mass giant star (M = 1.64 M ) located at the red giant branch near the luminosity bump. We find unexpectedly elevated abundances of Fe-peak and r-process elements. In addition, as previously reported, we find that this is a young star (2.37 Gyr) with unusually high abundances of α-elements ([α/Fe] = 0.31). The evolutionary status of KIC 9821622 suggests that its Li-rich nature is the result of internal fresh Li that is synthesized through the Cameron-Fowler mechanism near the luminosity bump. However, its peculiar enhancement of α, Fe-peak, and r-process elements opens the possibility of external contamination by material enriched by a supernova explosion. Although it is less likely, planet accretion cannot be ruled out.
The Disk Detective citizen science project aims to find new stars with 22 μm excess emission from circumstellar dust using data from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. Initial cuts on the AllWISE catalog provide an input catalog of 277,686 sources. Volunteers then view images of each source online in 10 different bands to identify false positives (galaxies, interstellar matter, image artifacts, etc.). Sources that survive this online vetting are followed up with spectroscopy on the FLWO Tillinghast telescope. This approach should allow us to unleash the full potential of WISE for finding new debris disks and protoplanetary disks. We announce a first list of 37 new disk candidates discovered by the project, and we describe our vetting and follow-up process. One of these systems appears to contain the first debris disk discovered around a star with a white dwarf companion: HD 74389. We also report four newly discovered classical Be stars (HD 6612, HD 7406, HD 164137, and HD 218546) and a new detection of 22 μm excess around the previously known debris disk host star HD 22128.
Aims. Kepler-278 and Kepler-391 are two of the three evolved stars known to date on the red giant branch (RGB) to host multiple short-period transiting planets. Moreover, the planets orbiting Kepler-278 and Kepler-391 are among the smallest discovered around RGB stars. Here we present a detailed stellar and planetary characterization of these remarkable systems. Methods. Based on high-quality spectra from Gemini-GRACES for Kepler-278 and Kepler-391, we obtained refined stellar parameters and precise chemical abundances for 25 elements. Nine of these elements and the carbon isotopic ratios, 12C∕13C, had not previously been measured. Also, combining our new stellar parameters with a photodynamical analysis of the Kepler light curves, we determined accurate planetary properties of both systems. Results. Our revised stellar parameters agree reasonably well with most of the previous results, although we find that Kepler-278 is ~15% less massive than previously reported. The abundances of C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, and Ce, in both stars, are consistent with those of nearby evolved thin disk stars. Kepler-391 presents a relatively high abundance of lithium (A(Li)NLTE = 1.29 ± 0.09 dex), which is likely a remnant from the main-sequence phase. The precise spectroscopic parameters of Kepler-278 and Kepler-391, along with their high 12C∕13C ratios, show that both stars are just starting their ascent on the RGB. The planets Kepler-278b, Kepler-278c, and Kepler-391c are warm sub-Neptunes, whilst Kepler-391b is a hot sub-Neptune that falls in the hot super-Earth desert and, therefore, it might be undergoing photoevaporation of its outer envelope. The high-precision obtained in the transit times allowed us not only to confirm Kepler-278c’s TTV signal, but also to find evidence of a previously undetected TTV signal for the inner planet Kepler-278b. From the presence of gravitational interaction between these bodies we constrain, for the first time, the mass of Kepler-278b (Mp = 56 −13+37 M⊕) and Kepler-278c (Mp = 35 −21+9.9 M⊕). The mass limits, coupled with our precise determinations of the planetary radii, suggest that their bulk compositions are consistent with a significant amount of water content and the presence of H2 gaseous envelopes. Finally, our photodynamical analysis also shows that the orbits of both planets around Kepler-278 are highly eccentric (e ~ 0.7) and, surprisingly, coplanar. Further observations (e.g., precise radial velocities) of this system are needed to confirm the eccentricity values presented here.
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