Extra solar planets: Engulfed by stars?

The rarer of the two stable lithium isotopes, lithium-6, does not survive for long in stars, but is preserved in the atmosphere of giant planets such as Jupiter, or the rock of planets like Earth. So lithium-6 can be used as a marker for 'being a planet'. The star HD 82943, in the constellation Hydra, is orbited by a giant planet and now spectral observations reveal an almost 'planetary' ⁶Li/⁷Li ratio in the star itself. Evidence, perhaps, that one or more planets has been ingested by its parent star.

Evidence for planet engulfment by the star HD82943
G. ISRAELIAN, N. C. SANTOS, M. MAYOR & R. REBOLO
Nature 411, 163-166 (10 May 2001)
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space: stars eat planets

10 May 2001 table of contents