Search for the Infrared Emission Features from Deuterated Interstellar
  Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
  We report the results of a search for emission features from interstellar
deuterated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the 4um region with the
Infrared Camera (IRC) onboard AKARI. No significant excess emission is seen in
4.3-4.7um in the spectra toward the Orion Bar and M17 after the subtraction of
line emission from the ionized gas. A small excess of emission remains at
around 4.4 and 4.65um, but the ratio of their intensity to that of the band
emission from PAHs at 3.3-3.5um is estimated as 2-3%. This is an order of
magnitude smaller than the values previously reported and also those predicted
by the model of deuterium depletion onto PAHs. Since the subtraction of the
ionized gas emission introduces an uncertainty, the deuterated PAH features are
also searched for in the reflection nebula GN 18.14.0, which does not show
emission lines from ionized gas. We obtain a similar result that excess
emission in the 4um region, if present, is about 2% of the PAH band emission in
the 3um region. The present study does not find evidence for the presence of
the large amount of deuterated PAHs that the depletion model predicts. The
results are discussed in the context of deuterium depletion in the interstellar
medium.
