First planetesimals from DESI DR1: 12 highly metal-rich white dwarfs

Abstract Metal-enriched white dwarfs provide a unique insight into the composition of exoplanet interiors. These stars accrete the debris of disrupted planetary bodies, and hence, measuring the stellar parameters and photospheric abundances yields the bulk compositions of the parent bodies. At present, over 1750 debris-accreting white dwarfs are known, but just a few dozen are sufficiently enriched to allow a detailed abundance study. Here we report the analysis of 12 highly metal-enriched white dwarfs observed within the Data Release 1 of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). We characterised their stellar parameters and photospheric metal abundances and we identified between three and ten different elements in their optical spectra, including most of the rock-forming species: O, Mg, Si, Ca and Fe. We conclude that the accreted bodies broadly resemble compositions found within the inner Solar System such as primitive meteorites, processed material or planetary cores. Six of the systems allowed a more thorough analysis: four of the parent bodies are composed of dry rock-forming elements; and two of them of something akin to a water-rich planetesimal. Thus, this study establishes DESI as a potent survey for identifying metal-rich targets, yielding reliable compositions of accreted exoplanetary material.

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Publication Details

Journal
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Published
2026-07-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stag1353
Primary Topic
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
Type
article
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article

First planetesimals from DESI DR1: 12 highly metal-rich white dwarfs

Will J. Percival, Christopher J. Manser, Rongpu Zhou, Ting S. Li et al.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
article

First planetesimals from DESI DR1: 12 highly metal-rich white dwarfs

Will J. Percival, Christopher J. Manser, Rongpu Zhou, Ting S. Li, Andrew Swan, Laura K. Rogers, D. Koester, J. E. Forero-Romero, Jack T. Williams, Paula Izquierdo, B T Gänsicke, E Sanchez, A Dey, A Meisner, S E Koposov, A de la Macorra, E Gaztañaga, J Aguilar, D Aguado, M Landriau, J Najita, T Claybaugh, A Kremin, J Moustakas, C Allende Prieto, R Miquel, T Kisner, Nicola P Gentile-Fusillo, H Zou, G Tarlé, G Gutiérrez, L Le Guillou, D Sprayberry, F Prada, M Manera, D Schlegel, D Bianchi, G Rossi, D Brooks, B A Weaver, D Joyce, P Doel, M Schubnell, S Gontcho A Gontcho, I Pérez-Ràfols, S Ahlen
article en

Abstract

Abstract Metal-enriched white dwarfs provide a unique insight into the composition of exoplanet interiors. These stars accrete the debris of disrupted planetary bodies, and hence, measuring the stellar parameters and photospheric abundances yields the bulk compositions of the parent bodies. At present, over 1750 debris-accreting white dwarfs are known, but just a few dozen are sufficiently enriched to allow a detailed abundance study. Here we report the analysis of 12 highly metal-enriched white dwarfs observed within the Data Release 1 of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). We characterised their stellar parameters and photospheric metal abundances and we identified between three and ten different elements in their optical spectra, including most of the rock-forming species: O, Mg, Si, Ca and Fe. We conclude that the accreted bodies broadly resemble compositions found within the inner Solar System such as primitive meteorites, processed material or planetary cores. Six of the systems allowed a more thorough analysis: four of the parent bodies are composed of dry rock-forming elements; and two of them of something akin to a water-rich planetesimal. Thus, this study establishes DESI as a potent survey for identifying metal-rich targets, yielding reliable compositions of accreted exoplanetary material.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Boston University (US), Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ES), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (US), University of Trieste (IT), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US), University of Waterloo (CA), Universidad de La Laguna (ES), Universidad de Los Andes (CO), Perimeter Institute (CA), Institute for High Energy Physics (ES), University of Milan (IT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), University of Cambridge (GB), University of Michigan (US), Brera Astronomical Observatory (IT), Sejong University (KR), Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE), University of Warwick (GB), Sorbonne Université (FR), Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (ES), Gemini North Observatory (US), Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies (FR), Royal Observatory (GB), Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CA), Institute of Astronomy (RU), Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (ES), Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules (FR), Community Science and Data Center (US), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Milano (IT), NSF NOIRLab (US), Universidad de Los Andes (BO), Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (ES), National Astronomical Observatories (CN), Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (ES), Institute of Science and Technology, University College London (GB), University of Portsmouth (GB), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX), Siena College (US), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (ES), University of Edinburgh (GB)
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Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
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