Stellar chemistry and planet size: insights from GALAH DR4

The well-known correlation between stellar metallicity and planet occurrence is strongest for giant planets, but weaker for smaller planets, suggesting that detailed elemental patterns beyond [Fe/H] may be relevant. Using abundances from the fourth data release of the GALAH spectroscopic survey, we analyzed 104 host stars with 141 confirmed transiting planets. We divide planets at 2.6 Earth radii, the theoretical threshold radius above which planets are unlikely to be pure-water worlds. We find that large-planet hosts are enriched by approximately 0.2 dex in iron and show a possible excess of highly volatile elements (C, N, O), though these measurements are affected by observational limitations, whereas small-planet hosts exhibit an enhanced contribution of the classical rock-forming elements (Mg, Si, Ca, Ti) relative to iron, corresponding to a modest [Rock/Fe] offset of 0.06 dex, which is statistically significant, with a p value of 10^{-4}. These offsets remain significant for alternative radius cuts. A matched control sample of non-planet-host stars shows only weak and mostly statistically insignificant similar trends, confirming that the stronger chemical signatures are linked to the planetary characteristics. As our study relies on transiting planets, it mainly probes short-period systems (periods shorter than 100 days). These results refine the planet-metallicity relation, highlighting the role of the relative balance between iron, volatiles, and rock-forming elements in planet formation.

💡 Research Summary

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The authors investigate how detailed stellar chemical composition correlates with the sizes of transiting exoplanets, using abundances from the fourth data release of the GALAH spectroscopic survey. They cross‑matched GALAH DR4 with the NASA Exoplanet Archive (as of 10 April 2025) and obtained a sample of 104 main‑sequence planet‑hosting stars, encompassing 141 confirmed transiting planets. Because precise planetary radii are required, the study is limited to short‑period systems (P < 100 days). Following the theoretical transition identified by Lozovsky et al. (2018), planets are divided at a radius of 2.6 R⊕: 78 planets are classified as “small” and 63 as “large”.

GALAH provides high‑resolution (R ≈ 28 000) optical spectra and delivers abundances for up to 32 elements. The catalog reports