Related papers: Isotopic ratios at z=0.68 from molecular absorptio…
With the Plateau de Bure interferometer, we have measured the C, N, O and S isotopic abundance ratios in the arm of a spiral galaxy with a redshift of 0.89. The galaxy is seen face-on according to HST images. Its bulge intercepts the line…
To trace chemical evolution in a prototypical starburst environment, we spatially resolve the carbon and oxygen isotope ratios across the central molecular zone (full size ~$\sim 600$ pc) in the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253. We imaged…
Interstellar objects provide a unique opportunity to further our understanding of the planetary formation process by studying in detail material formed around another star. Their ices contain precious clues about the environment and…
The measurement of isotopic ratios provides a privileged insight both into nucleosynthesis and into the mechanisms operating in stellar envelopes, such as gravitational settling. In this article, we give a few examples of how isotopic…
The isotopic ratios are good tools for probing the stellar nucleosynthesis and chemical evolution. We performed high-sensitivity mapping observations of the J=7-6 rotational transitions of OCS, OC34S, O13CS, and OC33S toward the Galactic…
Identifying the nucleosynthesis processes behind heavy-element enrichment in stellar atmospheres is challenging. It typically relies on comparing observed abundance-to-iron ratios with theoretical predictions relative to the Sun, but this…
We present the results of a 7 mm spectral survey of molecular absorption lines originating in the disk of a z=0.89 spiral galaxy located in front of the quasar PKS 1830-211. [...] A total of 28 different species, plus 8 isotopic variants,…
New infrared absorption measurements of oxygen isotope ratios in CO gas from individual young stellar objects confirm that the solar system is anomalously high in its 18O/17O ratio compared with extra-solar oxygen in the Galaxy. We show…
Measuring isotopic ratios is a sensitive technique used to obtain information on stellar nucleosynthesis and chemical evolution. We present measurements of the carbon and sulphur abundances in the interstellar medium of the central region…
Isotopic ratios are keys to understanding the origin and early evolution of the solar system in the context of Galactic nucleosynthesis. The large range of measured $^{14}$N/$^{15}$N isotopic ratios in the solar system reflects distinct…
The interstellar oxygen isotopic ratio of 18O/17O can reflect the relative amount of the secular enrichment by ejecta from high-mass versus intermediate-mass stars. Previous observations found a Galactic gradient of 18O/17O, i.e., low…
Isotopic abundance ratios in protoplanetary disks are critical for understanding volatile inheritance and chemical evolution in planet-forming environments. We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of the rare…
Isotopic ratios provide a powerful tool for understanding the origins of materials, including the volatile and refractory matter within solar system bodies. Recent high sensitivity observations of molecular isotopologues, in particular with…
(Abbreviated) From six spectra of high-z QSOs, we select eleven metal-rich, Z>=Z_solar, and optically-thin to the ionizing radiation, N(HI)<10^17 cm^-2, absorption systems ranging between z=1.5 and z=2.9 and revealing lines of different…
Isotope ratios have opened a new window into the study of the details of stellar evolution, supernovae, and galactic chemical evolution. We present the evolution of the isotope ratios of elemental abundances (from C to Zn) in the solar…
As an independent check on previous measurements of the isotopic abundance of oxygen through the Galaxy, we present a detailed analysis of the ground state rotational lines of 16OH and 18OH in absorption towards the giant molecular cloud…
Standard stellar evolution theory is inconsistent with the observed isotopic carbon ratio, 12C/13C, in evolved stars. This theory is also inconsistent with the 3He/H abundance ratios observed in Galactic HII regions, when combined with…
We present an optical spectrum (4000-10500 {\AA} ) of the lensed blazar B0218+357 secured at the 10m GTC and aimed to investigate and clarify the properties of this intriguing system. We found that the emission line spectrum of the blazar…
We present measurements of carbon, oxygen, silicon, and iron in quasar absorption systems existing when the universe was roughly one billion years old. We measure column densities in nine low-ionization systems at 4.7 < z < 6.3 using Keck,…
At redshifts z_abs < 2, quasar absorption-line constraints on space-time variations in the fine-structure constant, alpha, rely on the comparison of MgII and FeII transition wavelengths. One potentially important uncertainty is the relative…