[73.10] FUSE Results on D/H Toward Two Milky Way Disk Stars: Probing Longer Sight Lines Through the ISM

AAS 200th meeting, Albuquerque, NM, June 2002
Session 73. Interim Stellar Materials: Gas, Dust and Clouds
Display, Thursday, June 6, 2002, 9:20am-4:00pm, SW Exhibit Hall

[Previous] | [Session 73] | [Next]

[73.10] FUSE Results on D/H Toward Two Milky Way Disk Stars: Probing Longer Sight Lines Through the ISM

C. G. Hoopes (JHU), K. R. Sembach (STScI), G. Hébrard (CNRS/IAP), H. W. Moos (JHU)

The ratio of Deuterium to Hydrogen (D/H) in the interstellar medium is an important probe of chemical evolution. Using the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), we have carried out an investigation of the deuterium abundance toward two Milky Way disk stars: HD 195965 at a distance of ~800 pc, and HD 191877 at a distance of ~2000pc. These are the longest sight lines and highest HI column densities (~ 10²¹ cm^-2) in which the deuterium abundance has been analyzed with FUSE to date. The FUSE data for HD 195965 are supplemented by high resolution HST/STIS observations, which contain information on the velocities of the interstellar clouds along the line of sight. Using a combination of curve of growth analysis and absorption profile fitting, we have determined the DI/HI, DI/OI, and DI/NI ratios for these sight lines. We compare the values for these sight lines with those for other sight lines observed by FUSE as well as those for intergalactic hydrogen clouds at high redshift.

This work is based on data obtained for the Guaranteed Time Team by the NASA-CNES-CSA FUSE mission operated by the Johns Hopkins University. Financial support to U. S. participants has been provided by NASA contract NAS5-32985.

The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: choopes@pha.jhu.edu

[Previous] | [Session 73] | [Next]