Analyzing the Chemical Abundances of Local Habitable Stellar Systems via NatCat
Abstract
We present results from a compilation of abundance data for stars found within the Catalog of Nearby Habitable Systems, or HabCat (Turnbull & Tartar 2003). HabCat contains a listing of star systems which could conceivably host habitable planets based on the physical properties (such as stellar type, age, variability, iron abundances) of the star. Our focus has been on assembling abundance measurements for bio-essential elements - namely: C, N, O, Mg, S, Ti, as well as many others - for those stars in HabCat. We have created the first comprehensive catalog of abundances measurements for habitable stars within the solar neighborhood: the Nucleosynthetic Abundance Trends Catalog, or NatCat. We have mapped the spectroscopically determined abundances to find trends that occur both spatially and with regard to the evolution of the elements. We have also analyzed the maps with the locations of all known exoplanets overlayed on them. The element abundance maps from NatCat illustrate the nucleosynthetic patterns within 100pc of the Sun which may include potential hosts to Earthlike planets.
- Publication:
-
EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011
- Pub Date:
- October 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011epsc.conf...62H