^1,2Vardan Adibekyan et al. (>10)
Science 374, 330-332 Link to Article [DOI: 10.1126/science.abg8794]
¹Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto, 4150-762 Porto, Portugal.
²Departamento de Física e Astronomia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
Reprinted with permission from AAAS

Stars and planets both form by accreting material from a surrounding disk. Because they grow from the same material, theory predicts that there should be a relationship between their compositions. In this study, we search for a compositional link between rocky exoplanets and their host stars. We estimate the iron-mass fraction of rocky exoplanets from their masses and radii and compare it with the compositions of their host stars, which we assume reflect the compositions of the protoplanetary disks. We find a correlation (but not a 1:1 relationship) between these two quantities, with a slope of >4, which we interpret as being attributable to planet formation processes. Super-Earths and super-Mercuries appear to be distinct populations with differing compositions, implying differences in their formation processes.