Kavli Affiliate: Dimitri Mawet
| Summary:
The deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio (D/H) has provided key insights into the origin and evolution of the Solar System. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, we detected deuterated methane at $48σ$ in a mature giant exoplanet, $ε$ Ind Ab. We measure the planet’s D/H ratio to be $(4.4 pm 0.7) times 10^-5$, which is similar to those of Uranus and Neptune but about twice those of Jupiter, Saturn, and the protosolar nebula. $ε$ Ind Ab’s heavy elements (C, O, N, and S) are uniformly enriched to a level similar to Jupiter’s. These measurements require $ε$ Ind Ab to have accreted solids with $mathrmD/H gtrsim 1%$, at least 30 times more deuterium-rich than typical Solar System comets. Such D/H values are found in the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS and in organic molecules in star-forming regions, indicating that $ε$ Ind Ab accreted pristine solids formed in a very cold environment.
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