Evolution of stellar magnetic activity: probing planet engulfment by red giants

Abstract

The fraction of low-mass (LM) stars (M <= 1.5 Msun) showing photospheric activity in their light curve is larger on the horizontal branch (HB) than during the previous red giant branch (RGB) phase, while the opposite trend has been observed for intermediate-mass (IM) stars (M > 1.5 Msun). One hypothesis is that LM red giants (RGs) engulf more planets than IM RGs, which results in a faster surface rotation and a higher magnetic activity. Indeed, LM stars reach a maximum radius at the RGB tip that is much larger than for IM stars, making them more likely to engulf planets. However, we need to study the evolution of the active star fraction along the RGB to firmly check this hypothesis. I use independent indicators tracing the activity level in the chromosphere based on the Ca II H&K, Halpha, Mg I and infrared Ca II spectral lines from LAMOST data for about 3000 RGs whose evolutionary stage has been identified by asteroseismology with the Kepler mission. I find that the fraction of active stars decreases for IM stars along the RGB but unexpectedly increases for LM stars. Such an increase is not explained by models of single-star evolution and is consistent with the fact that LM stars are more susceptible than IM stars of engulfing planets. Indeed, data shows that IM main-sequence stars exhibit a dearth of planets, consistently with predictions from planet formation theory. I also observe that the fraction of active stars tends to increase for both LM and IM stars on the HB, in partial contrast with previous findings. Finally, I discover that the IM RGB star KIC 9780154 may have engulfed one or more planet(s) as its surface rotation from photometry is twice faster than its envelope rotation from asteroseismology. Characterizing planet engulfment by RGs provides insights into the evolution and fate of most planetary systems, since about 97 % of stars pass through the RG evolution stage.