New Insights into Carbon Isotopic Abundance from Quasar Observations

Recent observations of the quasar B1331+170 have provided new insights into the isotopic abundance of carbon in the universe. Researchers utilized high-quality data from the Very Large Telescope's ESPRESSO instrument to measure the ratio of carbon isotopes, specifically $^{12}$C to $^{13}$C, in a damped Lyman-alpha system at a redshift of 1.776. This study, led by Dinko Milaković and a team of 21 authors, found that the isotopic ratio is approximately 28.5, with a significant margin of uncertainty. This finding suggests that $^{13}$C may be produced at lower metallicities than previously understood.

The research employed AI-VPFIT, an artificial intelligence tool based on genetic algorithms, to analyze various kinematic structures of the carbon gas. The results indicate discrepancies with existing chemical evolution models, which predict a gradual increase of $^{13}$C based on stellar population properties. The presence of higher $^{13}$C levels in older, metal-poor stars within our galaxy implies that current models may need refinement.

This study contributes to our understanding of the chemical evolution of the universe, particularly in the context of high-redshift gas environments. The findings could have implications for future research in astrophysics, especially regarding the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies. The full paper can be accessed at arXiv:2407.17953.