Related papers: FUSE Deuterium Observations: A Strong Case For Gal…
Analyses of spectra obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite, together with spectra from the Copernicus and IMAPS instruments, reveal an unexplained very wide range in the observed deuterium/hydrogen (D/H)…
The primordial abundance of deuterium (D/H) yields a measure of the density of baryons in the universe and is an important complement to determinations from cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments. Indeed, the current small sample of…
We quantify the gas-phase abundance of deuterium and fractional contribution of stellar mass loss to the gas in cosmological zoom-in simulations from the Feedback In Realistic Environments project. At low metallicity, our simulations…
The total deuterium abundance [D/H] in the universe is set by just two processes: the creation of deuterium in Big Bang Nucleosynthesis at an abundance of [D/H]$=2.58\pm0.13\times10^{-5}$, and its destruction within stellar interiors.…
Accurate measurements of interstellar deuterium abundances along lines of sight extending out to several hundred parsecs by FUSE and other instruments is making D/H a useful tool for understanding Galactic chemical evolution. We find that…
Galactic destruction of primordial deuterium is inevitably linked through star formation to the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. The relatively high present gas content and low metallicity suggest only modest D-destruction. In concert with…
Current measurements indicate that the deuterium abundance in diffuse interstellar gas varies spatially by a factor of ~4 among sightlines extending beyond the Local Bubble. One plausible explanation for the scatter is the variable…
Chemical features of the local stellar disk have firmly established that long-term, continuous star formation has been accompanied by a steady rate of accretion of low-metallicity gas from the halo. We now argue that the recent discovery of…
We use high resolution spectra obtained with FUSE and STIS to obtain interstellar column densities of H I, D I, O I, S II, Fe II and P II toward the QSO HE 0226-4110 ( l = 253.4 deg , b = -65.77 deg). We obtain D/H = 21(+8, -6) ppm.…
As the Galaxy evolves, the abundance of deuterium in the interstellar medium (ISM) decreases from its primordial value: deuterium is "astrated". The deuterium astration factor, f_D, the ratio of the primordial D abundance (the D to H ratio…
(Abridged) Estimates of the interstellar deuterium abundance span a wide range of values. Here we study the evolution of deuterium in the framework of successful models for the chemical evolution of the Milky Way able to reproduce the…
An accurate value of the deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) ratio in the local interstellar medium (LISM) and a better understanding of the D/H variations with position in the Galactic disk can provide essential information on the primordial D/H…
Among the light elements created in the Big Bang, deuterium is one of the most difficult to detect but is also the one whose abundance depends most sensitively on the density of baryons. Thus, although we still have only a few positive…
Primordial evaluations of the deuterium abundance should provide one of the best tests of Big Bang nucleosynthesis models. Space as well as ground based observations seem however to result in different values. This asks for more…
We present a study of the deuterium abundance along the extended sight line (2.7kpc) toward HD 90087 with FUSE. Both in terms of distance and column densities, HD 90087 has the longest and densest sight line observed in the Galactic disk…
Because the ionization balances for HI, OI, and DI are locked together by charge exchange, D/O is an important tracer for the value of the D/H ratio and for potential spatial variations in the ratio. As the DI and OI column densities are of…
The uncertainties which still plague our understanding of the evolution of the light nuclides D, 3He and 4He in the Galaxy are described. Measurements of the local abundance of deuterium range over a factor of 3. The observed dispersion can…
Quasar absorption lines now permit a direct probe of deuterium abundances in primordial material, with the best current estimate $ (D/H)=1.9\pm 0.4 \times 10^{-4}$. If this is the universal primordial abundance $(D/H)_p$, Standard Big Bang…
The first observations of deuterium and oxygen in the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM) obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) can be used to search for local abundance variations. While the very limited sample of…
The deuterium abundances inferred from observations of the interstellar medium within 1-2 kpc of the Sun range over a factor of three and the corresponding oxygen abundances show an even larger dispersion. While the lower D (and O)…