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Related Experiment Videos

Cometary deuterium.

R Meier1, T C Owen

  • 1Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822, USA.

Space Science Reviews
|September 7, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cometary deuterium (D/H) ratios, enriched compared to the protosolar value, suggest comets are not the sole source of Earth's oceans. Interstellar conditions likely preserved these deuterium fractionations in cometary ices.

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Area of Science:

  • Planetary Science and Astrobiology
  • Cosmochemistry
  • Cometary Science

Background:

  • Deuterium fractionations in cometary ices offer crucial insights into the origin and evolution of comets.
  • Previous measurements of D/H ratios in cometary water (H2O) and other molecules have been limited but provided initial data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze available deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H) measurements in cometary ices.
  • To assess the implications of these measurements for the origin of Earth's water and the formation conditions of comets and planets.

Main Methods:

  • Compilation and analysis of existing D/H ratio data from spaceprobe mass spectrometry (e.g., Giotto) and ground-based observations (e.g., HDO, DCN).
  • Comparison of cometary D/H ratios with terrestrial water, protosolar values, and isotopic ratios in other solar system bodies.
Keywords:
NASA Discipline ExobiologyNon-NASA Center

Related Experiment Videos

  • Inference of formation temperatures and chemical processes based on observed deuterium abundances and molecular ratios.

    • Main Results:

    • Oort cloud comets exhibit a (D/H)H2O ratio approximately twice that of terrestrial water and an order of magnitude higher than the protosolar value.
    • Comets cannot solely account for Earth's ocean water; a mixture of cometary water and nebular-adsorbed water is suggested.
    • The D/H ratio in cometary HCN is significantly higher (7x) than in H2O, indicating species-dependent fractionation via low-temperature reactions.
    • Observed deuterium abundances suggest a cometary formation temperature lower limit of approximately 30 K, with other indicators pointing towards 50 K.

    Conclusions:

    • Cometary volatiles likely preserved interstellar deuterium fractionation, not solely solar nebula chemistry.
    • The deuterium enrichment in comets supports their role as icy cores for gas giant planet formation.
    • Further investigation into grain-size level D/H variations is warranted.