Related papers: D/H Measurements
Two new high-precision measurements of the deuterium abundance from absorbers along the line of sight to the quasar PKS1937--1009 were presented. The absorbers have lower neutral hydrogen column densities (N(HI) $\approx$ 18\,cm$^{-2}$)…
The primordial abundance of deuterium produced during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) depends sensitively on the universal ratio of baryons to photons, an important cosmological parameter probed independently by the Cosmic Microwave…
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) relates key cosmological parameters to the primordial abundance of light elements. In this paper, we point out that the recent observations of Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies by the Planck satellite…
Recent confrontations of the predictions of standard big bang nucleosynthesis (SBBN) with the primordial abundances of the light nuclides inferred from observational data reveal a conflict. Simply put, compared to theoretical expectations…
We present FUSE observations of the interstellar gas toward 30 white dwarf and 1 subdwarf (SdO) stars. These sightlines probe the Local Bubble (LB) and the local interstellar medium (LISM) near the LB. Our survey detected only diffuse H_2…
We present Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph observations of the weak interstellar N I doublet at 1160 Angstroms toward 17 high-density sight lines [N(Htot)>=10^21 cm^-2]. When combined…
The apparent discrepancy between abundances of light nuclides predicted by the standard Big-Bang and observational data is explained, by assuming the presence of metastable H dibaryons at the nucleosynthesis era. These dibaryons could be…
From the analysis of the near-UV spectrum of the QSO 2206-199, obtained with a long series of exposures with STIS on the HST, we deduce a value (D/H) = (1.65 +/- 0.35) x 10(-5) (1 sigma error) for the abundance of deuterium in the z(abs) =…
Recent HST/GHRS observations of the z = 0.7010 absorber toward the QSO 1718+4807 (selected because of apparently ideal characteristics for measuring D/H) yield a D/H significantly higher D/H than some recent high-redshift measurements. Our…
The z_abs = 2.504 Lyman Limit absorption system (LLS) towards Q1009+2956 has previously been used to estimate the primordial deuterium abundance. Since the initial measurement by Burles & Tytler, this quasar has been observed extensively…
We present measurements of the column densities of interstellar DI, OI, NI, and H2 made with FUSE, and of HI made with IUE toward the sdO star LSE 44, at a distance of 554+/-66 pc. This target is among the seven most distant Galactic sight…
Among the few ways that allow or could allow us to probe the early Universe from the observation of a flux of primordial particles, there is one possibility which has been little studied: the observation today of high energy neutrinos which…
We present new upper and lower bounds to the primordial abundances of deuterium and helium-3 based on observational data from the solar system and the interstellar medium. Independent of any model for the primordial production of the…
The gravitational potential phi = GM/Rc^2 at the surface of the white dwarf G191-B2B is 10,000 times stronger than that at the Earth's surface. Numerous photospheric absorption features are detected, making this a suitable environment to…
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…
We present high S/N measurements of the H I Ly alpha absorption line toward 16 Galactic targets which are at distances between approximately 190 and 2200 pc, all beyond the wall of the Local Bubble. We describe the models used to remove…
Following a brief introduction to early Universe cosmology, the current of status of big bang nucleosynthesis is reviewed and the concordance between theory and observation is examined in detail. The abundances of He4 and Li7 determine the…
Both the Fe II UV emission in the 2000- 3000 A region [Fe II (UV)] and resonance emission line complex of Mg II at 2800 A are prominent features in quasar spectra. The observed Fe II UV/ Mg II emission ratios have been proposed as means to…
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)…
Detecting gaseous debris disks around white dwarfs offers a unique window into the ultimate fate of planetary systems and the composition of accreted planetary material. Here we present a systematic search for such disks through the Ca II…