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Hydrogen Isotopes

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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Synonyms

Protium; Deuterium; Tritium

Definition

Hydrogen (symbol, H; atomic mass, 1.00794) has three isotopes. Two are stable in the environment and are denoted as \( _1^1\mathrm{H} \) (protium) and \( _1^2\mathrm{H} \) (deuterium or D). The third isotope, \( _1^3\mathrm{H} \) (tritium or T), is unstable and decays to 3He with a half-life of 12.32±0.02 years. Being hydrogen one of the water-forming elements, the ratio of the stable isotopes D/H has been used for identifying the origin of water within the Solar system. The D/H ratio measured in carbonaceous chondrites and Antarctic micrometeorites (143–170 × 10−6; Robert 2001; Engrand et al. 1999) is closer to the value of the present-day ocean (155.7 × 10−6) than that measured in long-period and Jupiter family comets (298–530 × 10−6; e.g., Bockelée-Morvan et al. 1998; Altwegg et al. 2015).

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References

  • Altwegg K et al (2015) 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, a Jupiter family comet with a high D/H ratio. Science 347:1261952

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  • Bockelée-Morvan D et al (1998) Deuterated water in Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) and its implications for the origin of Comets. Icarus 133:147–162

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  • Engrand C, Deloule E, Robert F, Maurette M, Kurat G (1999) Extraterrestrial water in micrometeorites and cosmic spherules from Antarctica: an ion microprobe study. Meteorit Planet Sci 34:773–786

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  • Robert F (2001) L’origine de l’eau dans le Système Solaire telle qu’elle est enregistrée par son rapport isotopique D/H. In: Gargaud M, Despois D, Parisot JP (eds) L’environnement de la Terre primitive. Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geotop, Research centre for the dynamics of the Earth system, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Qc, Canada

    Daniele L. Pinti

Authors
  1. Daniele L. Pinti
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Correspondence to Daniele L. Pinti .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux, Pessac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  2. Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    William M. Irvine

  3. Centro Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Univ. Autónoma de Madrid Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  4. Analytical-, Environm., Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, VUB, Brussels, Belgium

    Philippe Claeys

  5. Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, WASHINGTON, DC, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  6. Radio Astronomy, Paris Observatory, Paris, France

    Maryvonne Gerin

  7. Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, Meudon, France

    Daniel Rouan

  8. International Space Science Institute, Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Tilman Spohn

  9. Centre Francois Viète, Universite de Nantes, Nantes, France

    Stéphane Tirard

  10. Innovaxiom, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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Pinti, D.L. (2022). Hydrogen Isotopes. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_753-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_753-5

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Hydrogen Isotopes
    Published:
    07 December 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_753-5

  2. Original

    Hydrogen Isotopes
    Published:
    15 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_753-4

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