Related papers: Galactic evolution of D, 3He and 4He
Deuterium is created during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, and, in contrast to the other light stable nuclei, can only be destroyed thereafter by fusion in stellar interiors. In this paper we study the cosmic evolution of the deuterium abundance…
Standard stellar evolution models that only consider convection as a physical process to mix material inside of stars predict the production of significant amounts of 3He in low-mass stars (M < 2 Msun), with peak abundances of 3He/H ~ few x…
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 observed cosmic abundances of light elements are most consistent with each other, and with the predictions of big bang nucleosynthesis,if, contrary to the usual assumption, galactic chemical evolution reduces $(D+\ ^3He)/H$ with time.…
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)…
Measurements of deuterium in the local interstellar medium have revealed large variations in D/H along different lines of sight. Moreover, recent {\it Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer} (FUSE) measurements find D/H to be anticorrelated…
The determined abundances of primordial $^4He$ and $^7Li$ provide a basis with which to test the standard model of big bang nucleosynthesis in conjunction with the other two light element isotopes $D$ and $^3He$, also produced in the big…
We report on measurements of the 4He abundance toward the outer Galaxy HII region S206 with the NRAO Green Bank telescope. Observations of hydrogen and helium radio recombination lines between 8-10 GHz were made toward the peak radio…
Deuterium is the best indicator of the baryon density; however, only its present abundance is known (and only locally) and its chemical evolution is intertwined with that of $^3$He. Because galactic abundances are spatially heterogeneous,…
Detections of deuterium in high redshift Lyman limit absorption systems along the line of sight to QSOs promise to reveal the primordial deuterium abundance. At present, the deuterium abundances (D/H) derived from the very few systems…
In this work, two aspects of the chemical evolution of 4He in the Galaxy are considered on the basis of a sample of disk planetary nebulae (PN). First, an application of corrections owing to the contamination of 4He from the evolution of…
The prediction of standard chemical evolution models of higher abundances of He3 at the solar and present-day epochs than are observed indicates a possible problem with the yield of He3 for stars in the range of 1-3 solar masses. Because…
One of the tests of nucleosynthesis theory is the $^3$He abundance in the Galaxy. $^3$He$^+$ is observed through its 3.46 cm hyperfine level in Hii regions and the $^3$He/H ratio compares well with theory. Since $^3$He can be created or…
The measurement of chemical abundances in planetary nebulae in nearby galaxies is now relatively straightforward. The challenge is to use these chemical abundances to infer the chemical evolution of their host galaxies. At this point, our…
Of the light elements, the primordial abundance of deuterium, (D/H)_p, provides the most sensitive diagnostic for the cosmological mass density parameter Omega_B. Recent high redshift (D/H) measurements are highly discrepant, although this…
The determination of chemical abundances in star-forming galaxies and the study of their evolution on cosmological timescales are powerful tools for understanding galaxy formation and evolution. This contribution presents the latest results…
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…
The $^3$He isotope is important to many fields of astrophysics, including stellar evolution, chemical evolution, and cosmology. The isotope is produced in low-mass stars which evolve through the planetary nebula (PN) phase. $^3$He…
During its hot, dense, early evolution the Universe was a primordial nuclear reactor, synthesizing the light nuclides D, 3He, 4He and 7Li in the first thousand seconds. The presently observed abundances of these relic nuclides provide a…
Standard big bang nucleosynthesis (BBNS) promises accurate predictions of the primordial abundances of deuterium, helium-3, helium-4 and lithium-7 as a function of a single parameter. Previous measurements have nearly always been…