Solar Twins and Possible Solutions of the Solar and Jupiter Abundance Problems

Implications of the recently discovered systematic abundance difference between the Sun and two collections of ‘solar twins’ are discussed. The differences can be understood as an imprint on the abundances of the solar convection zone caused by the lock-up of heavy elements in the planets. Such a scenario also leads naturally to possible solutions of two other abundance peculiarities; 1) the discrepancy between photospheric abundances derived from accurate 3-D models of the solar photosphere and the abundance of heavy elements in the solar interior deduced from helioseismology, and 2) the abundance pattern of Jupiter, which can either—with great difficulty—be interpreted as a general and similar overabundance of both common elements such as carbon, nitrogen and sulphur and rare inert gases such as argon, krypton and xenon, or—much more simply—as an under-abundance of hydrogen. Subject headings: Sun: abundances – Jupiter: abundances – solar system: formation – convection