Editing Deuterium (section)

=== Quantum properties ===
The deuteron has [[quantum spin|spin]] +1 ("[[triplet state]]") and is thus a [[boson]]. The [[nuclear magnetic resonance|NMR]] frequency of deuterium is significantly different from normal hydrogen. [[Infrared spectroscopy]] also easily differentiates many deuterated compounds, due to the large difference in IR absorption frequency seen in the vibration of a chemical bond containing deuterium, versus light hydrogen. The two stable isotopes of hydrogen can also be distinguished by using [[mass spectrometry]].

The triplet deuteron nucleon is barely bound at {{nowrap|1=''E''{{sub|B}} = {{val|2.23|u=MeV}}}}, and none of the higher energy states are bound. The singlet deuteron is a virtual state, with a negative binding energy of {{val|p=~|60|u=keV}}. There is no such stable particle, but this virtual particle transiently exists during neutron–proton inelastic scattering, accounting for the unusually large neutron scattering cross-section of the proton.<ref>{{cite web |title=Neutron–proton scattering |date=Fall 2004 |website=mightylib.mit.edu |type=course notes |id=22.101 |publisher=[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] |url=http://mightylib.mit.edu/Course%20Materials/22.101/Fall%202004/Notes/Part3.pdf |url-status=dead <!-- presumed --> |access-date=2011-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721213924/http://mightylib.mit.edu/Course%20Materials/22.101/Fall%202004/Notes/Part3.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-21}}</ref>