Heavy water ice found in planet-forming disk ⚡ экспресс
For the first time, ice made of semi-heavy water (HDO, where one hydrogen atom is replaced by deuterium) has been detected in the protoplanetary disk 132-1832 (Orion Nebula) using the James Webb Space Telescope and laboratory data. The estimated upper limit of the HDO/H₂O ratio is much higher than in chondrite meteorites, comets, and young stars. This could indicate active processing of ices in the disk and confirms lab experiments. The find is crucial for understanding how water becomes enriched in deuterium on its way from interstellar clouds to planets — a kind of cosmic fingerprint that lets us trace the history of our water.
The James Webb Space Telescope peered into a disk of gas and dust around a young star where planets are born, and for the first time spotted ice made of heavy water. This water is not ordinary: in its molecules, regular hydrogen is replaced by deuterium, its heavier sibling. Such water is like a diary page, holding chemical clues from the past.
Now that diary page has been read, it tells the story of water that crossed the galaxy to become our planet's oceans.
🎯 Every liter of seawater hides a few drops of heavy water. It tastes slightly sweet but is harmless.