ESA Science & Technology - From the Interstellar Medium to Earth's Oceans via Comets - An Isotopic Study of HDO/H₂0

Publication date: 02 July 1999

Authors: Laufer, D.G. et al.

Journal: Icarus
Volume: 140
Page: pp. 446-450
Year: 1999

Copyright: Academic Press

The very similar D/H ratio in the water of Comets Halley, Hyakutake, and Hale-Bopp (~3 × 10^-4) is 10-20 times larger then the D/H ratio in the solar nebula. Therefore the cometary water had to originate in a giant molecular cloud, where the HDO is enriched by ion-molecule reactions.