Identification of deuterium ions in the ionosphere of Venus

The dominant mass two ion in the ionosphere of Venus is identified as D(+) through analysis of the height variation of (mass two ion)/(H(+)) measured in the chemical equilibrium region by the ion mass spectrometer on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter. This result leads to (D)/(H) = (2.2 + or - 0.6) x 10 to the -2 at the turbopause, which agrees with the ratio measured in the lower atmosphere by the large probe mass spectrometer. The 100-fold deuterium enrichment supports previous suggestions that Venus has lost at least 0.3 percent of a terrestrial ocean.