Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2005
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005hia....13q.582c&link_type=abstract
In: Highlights of Astronomy, Vol. 13, as presented at the XXVth General Assembly of the IAU - 2003 [Sydney, Australia, 13 - 26 J
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Damped Lyman-Alpha Systems
Scientific paper
Initial results from the WMAP satellite have constrained the cosmological baryon density with an uncertainty of 4%. We can now test our understanding of both big bang nucleosynthesis and subsequent stellar nucleosynthesis by comparing this precise result with predictions for the baryon density from abundances of light elements produced in BBN. The discrepancy between the predicted baryon density from He4 and Li7 measurements and the density predicted from deuterium and WMAP already show that there are problems either with the interpretation of the data or the model we are fitting to it.
Currently the handful of extragalactic deuterium abundance (D/H) measurements broadly agree with the WMAP baryon density but there is significant scatter amongst these values. While the scatter can be explained by underestimated systematic effects it may also be hinting at an early source of nucleosynthesis or other non-standard scenarios.
We present a measurement of D/H in a new Lyman limit absorption system towards QSO 1937-1009. Several different models of the velocity structure of the system require D/H to be significantly lower than that measured in other absorption systems. If true this may imply the scatter in D/H measurements is real and not only a result of systematic errors.
Crighton N. H.
Webb John
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