A new deuterium abundance measurement from a damped Ly alpha system at z(abs)=3.025

Citation
S. D'Odorico et al., A new deuterium abundance measurement from a damped Ly alpha system at z(abs)=3.025, ASTRON ASTR, 368(3), 2001, pp. L21-L24
Citations number
24
Categorie Soggetti
Space Sciences
Journal title
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ISSN journal
00046361 → ACNP
Volume
368
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
L21 - L24
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-6361(200103)368:3<L21:ANDAMF>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
We present the first D/H measurement in a damped Ly alpha (hereafter DLA) s ystem at z(abs) = 3.025 towards QSO 0347-3819 obtained from the UVES-VLT sp ectra. The DLA absorber has a metallicity of [Zn/H] approximate to -1.25 an d a relatively simple velocity structure, with two dominating components de tected in several metal lines. The hydrogen Lyman series can be followed do wn to Ly12 thanks to the high UV-Blue efficiency of UVES. The best fit of t he Lyman series lines, and in particular of Ly epsilon, Ly8, Ly10 and Ly12, relatively free of local contamination, is obtained when the DI absorption is included in the two main components. The measured deuterium column dens ity yields D/H = (2.24 +/-0.67) 10(-5) close to other low D/H values from L yman limit systems. The corresponding values for the baryon to photon ratio and the baryon density derived from D/H are eta approximate to 6 10(-10) a nd Omega (b)h(2) = 0.023 respectively.