Deuterium/hydrogen in a new Lyman limit absorption system at z=3.256 towards PKS1937-1009

被引:50
作者
Crighton, NHM [1 ]
Webb, JK
Ortiz-Gil, A
Fernández-Soto, A
机构
[1] Univ New S Wales, Sch Phys, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
[2] Univ Valencia, Astron Observ, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain
关键词
nuclear reactions; nucleosynthesis; abundances; quasars : absorption lines; cosmological parameters;
D O I
10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.08390.x
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
We have identified a new Lyman limit absorption system towards PKS1937-1009, with log N(H I) = 18.25 +/- 0.02 at z = 3.256 that is suitable for measuring deuterium/hydrogen (D/H). We find a 68.3 per cent confidence range for D/H of 1.6(-0.30)(+0.25) x 10(-5) and a 95.4 per cent range of 1.6(-0.4)(+0.5) x 10(-5). The metallicity of the cloud where D/H was measured is low, [Si/H] = -2.0 +/- 0.5. At these metallicities we expect that D/H will be close to the primordial value. Our D/H is lower than the D/H value predicted using the Omega(b) calculated from the cosmic background radiation measured by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, 2.60(-0.17)(+0.19) x 10(-5). Our result also exacerbates the scatter in D/H values around the mean primordial D/H.
引用
收藏
页码:1042 / 1052
页数:11
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