Abstract
Excellent HST/GHRS spectra of interstellar hydrogen and deuterium Lyman-α absorption toward nearby stars allow us to identify systematic errors that have plagued earlier work and to measure accurate values of the D/H ratio in local interstellar gas. Analysis of 12 sightlines through the Local Interstellar Cloud leads to a mean value of D/H = (1.50 ± 0.10) × 10-5 with all data points lying within ± 1σ of the mean. Whether or not the D/H ratio has different values elsewhere in the Galaxy and beyond is a very important open question that will be one of the major objectives of the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) mission.
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Linsky, J.L. Deuterium Abundance in the Local ISM and Possible Spatial Variations. Space Science Reviews 84, 285–296 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005048124341
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005048124341