Although a large range of lithium (Li) abundances is observed in solar-type stars, this range has proved theoretically difficult to understand. An earlier suggestion that Li is more depleted in stars with planets was weakened by the lack of a proper comparison sample of stars without detected planets. Here, Li abundances are reported for an unbiased sample of solar-analogue stars with and without detected planets. It is found that about 50% of the solar analogues without detected planets have on average ten times more Li that those with planets.
- Garik Israelian
- Elisa Delgado Mena
- Sofia Randich