REVEALING A UNIVERSAL PLANET–METALLICITY CORRELATION FOR PLANETS OF DIFFERENT SIZES AROUND SOLAR-TYPE STARS

Abstract

ABSTRACT The metallicity of exoplanet systems serves as a critical diagnostic of planet formation mechanisms. Previous studies have demonstrated the planet–metallicity correlation for large planets ( ); however, a correlation has not been found for smaller planets. With a sample of 406 Kepler objects of interest whose stellar properties are determined spectroscopically, we reveal a universal planet–metallicity correlation: not only gas-giant planets ( ) but also gas-dwarf ( ) and terrestrial planets ( ) occur more frequently in metal-rich stars. The planet occurrence rates of gas-giant planets, gas-dwarf planets, and terrestrial planets are , , and times higher for metal-rich stars than for metal-poor stars, respectively.