Kronos and Krios: Evidence for Accretion of a Massive, Rocky Planetary System in a Comoving Pair of Solar-type Stars

Abstract

We report and discuss the discovery of a significant difference in the chemical abundances of a comoving pair of bright solar-type stars, HD 240430 and HD 240429. The two stars have an estimated 3D separation of ≈0.6 pc (≈0.01 pc projected) at a distance of r  ≈ 100 pc with nearly identical 3D velocities, as inferred from Gaia TGAS parallaxes and proper motions, and high-precision radial velocity measurements. Stellar parameters determined from high-resolution spectra obtained with the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES) at the Keck Observatory indicate that the two stars are ∼4 Gyr old. The more metal-rich of the two, HD 240430, shows an enhancement of refractory ( K) elements by ≈0.2 dex and a marginal enhancement of (moderately) volatile elements ( K; , , , , and ). This is the largest metallicity difference found in a wide binary pair to date. Additionally, HD 240430 shows an anomalously high surface lithium abundance ( ), higher than its cooler companion by 0.5 dex. The proximity in phase-space and ages between the two stars suggests that they formed together with the same composition, which is at odds with the observed differences in metallicity and abundance patterns. We therefore suggest that the star HD 240430, “Kronos,” accreted of rocky material after birth, selectively enhancing the refractory elements as well as lithium in its surface and convective envelope.