JWST Exoplanetary Worlds and Elemental Survey (JEWELS) I: High-Precision Chemical Abundances of 20 FGK Planet-Hosting Stars from JWST Cycle 2

TL;DR

JEWELS addresses the need for a uniform, high-precision chemical baseline for JWST planet hosts to connect stellar composition with planetary properties. The study derives abundances for 19 elements in 20 FGK hosts via a strictly differential line-by-line approach relative to the Sun, using high-quality archival spectra. It reveals chemical diversity among planet hosts, including carbon-enhanced mildly metal-poor and α-enhanced metal-poor stars, with variations in $C/O$ and $Mg/Si$ that may influence planetary interiors and atmospheres. This homogeneous dataset will enable robust exploration of the planet mass–metallicity relation and formation pathways, guiding interpretation of future uniform JWST planetary atmosphere measurements across cycles.

Abstract

We present high-precision chemical abundances for 20 FGK stars hosting planets observed in JWST Cycle 2 GO programs. Using high-resolution, high-signal-to-noise ratio spectra from the ESO and Keck archives, we perform a strict line-by-line differential analysis relative to the Sun to derive stellar parameters and abundances of 19 elements from C to Zn. The stars span effective temperatures of 4500-6500 K and metallicities from -0.57 to +0.50 dex. The sample includes hosts of both gas giants and terrestrial planets, allowing direct comparison between stellar composition and planetary properties. Several of the giant planets orbit metal-rich stars. The detailed abundance patterns show clear chemical diversity, including carbon-enhanced but mildly metal-poor stars (TOI-824, TOI-1130, GJ 9827) and $α$-enhanced metal-poor stars (TOI-561, GJ 9827, TOI-824). These variations trace differences in protoplanetary disk composition and may influence planetary interiors and atmospheric chemistry. The planet-hosts show a range of [C/O] ratios, and the diverse [Mg/Si] ratios may suggest varied interior compositions for their rocky planets. This homogeneous stellar abundance, together with future uniform JWST planetary atmosphere measurements, provides a foundation for exploring the planet mass-metallicity relation and the connection between stellar chemistry and planetary formation pathways. These results constitute the first step in a larger survey spanning multiple JWST cycles to systematically examine how host star composition shapes exoplanetary systems.