Big Bang Nucleosynthesis of Lithium-7 and the Baryon Density of the Universe

Author(s):  
Elisabeth Vangioni-Flam ◽  
Alain Coc ◽  
Michel Cassé
2002 ◽  
Vol 187 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
D.N. Schramm

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) is on the verge of undergoing a transformation now that extragalactic deuterium is being measured. Previously, the emphasis was on demonstrating the concordance of the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis model with the abundances of the light isotopes extrapolated back to their primordial values using stellar and Galactic evolution theories. Once the primordial deuterium abundance is converged upon, the nature of the field will shift to using the much more precise primordial D/H to constrain the more flexible stellar and Galactic evolution models (although the question of potential systematic error in 4He abundance determinations remains open). The remarkable success of the theory to date in establishing the concordance has led to the very robust conclusion of BBN regarding the baryon density. The BBN constraints on the cosmological baryon density are reviewed and demonstrate that the bulk of the baryons are dark and also that the bulk of the matter in the universe is non-baryonic. Comparison of baryonic density arguments from Lyman-α clouds, x-ray gas in clusters, the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect, and the microwave anisotropy are made and shown to be consistent with the BBN value.


1987 ◽  
Vol 117 ◽  
pp. 499-523
Author(s):  
Jean Audouze

Primordial nucleosynthesis which is responsible for the formation of the lightest elements (D, 3He, 4He and 7Li) provides a unique way to determine the present baryon density pB in the Universe and therefore the corresponding cosmological parameter ΩB. After a brief summary of the relevant abundance determinations and of the consequences of the Standard Big Bang nucleosynthesis, it is argued that one needs to call for specific models of chemical evolution of the Galaxy in order to reconcile the observations with the predictions of this model. In this context the predicted values for ΩB should range from 4 10−3 to 6 10−2. These values are significantly lower than those deduced from current M/L determinations.


It is shown that not only does Big Bang nucleosynthesis provide an upper limit on the baryon density of the Universe, but if one takes into account arguments concerning the production of 3 He in stars, one can show that the 3 He plus deuterium abundance can also provide a lower limit on the baryon density of the Universe. The derived constraints are that the baryon: photon ratio, y, must be between 1.5 x 10- 10 and 7 x 10 -9 with a best fit between 3 and 6 x 10 -10 . This small range for y has implications for our limits on numbers of neutrino types, for Big Bang baryosynthesis, and for arguments about the nature of the dark matter in clusters of galaxies. With reference to the dark matter, the derived baryon density for Big Bang nucleosynthesis corresponds very closely with the implied density of matter in binaries and small groups of galaxies. This implies that non-baryonic matter is not dominant by a large factor on scales as large as binaries and small groups of galaxies. It is also shown that the constraints on the lower limit on the baryon density constrain the lower limit on the primordial 4He abundance. Consistency seems to be possible only if the primordial 4 He is between 23 and 25 % by mass if there are three or four species of neutrinos.


2000 ◽  
Vol 198 ◽  
pp. 125-134
Author(s):  
David Tytler ◽  
John M. O'Meara ◽  
Nao Suzuki ◽  
Dan Lubin ◽  
Scott Burles ◽  
...  

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) is the synthesis of the light nuclei, Deuterium (D or 2H), 3He, 4He and 7Li during the first few minutes of the universe. In this review we concentrate on recent data which give the primordial deuterium (D) abundance.We have measured the primordial D/H in gas with very nearly primordial abundances. We use the Lyman series absorption lines seen in the spectra of quasars. We have measured D/H towards three QSOs, while a fourth gives a consistent upper limit. All QSO spectra are consistent with a single value for D/H: 3.325+0.22−0.25X10−5. From about 1994 − 1996, there was much discussion of the possibility that some QSOs show much higher D/H, but the best such example was shown to be contaminated by H, and no other no convincing examples have been found. Since high D/H should be much easier to detect, and hence it must be extremely rare or non-existent.The new D/H measurements give the most accurate value for the baryon to photon ratio, η, and hence the cosmological baryon density: ωb = 0.0190 ± 0.0009 (1σ) A similar density is required to explain the amount of Lyα absorption from neutral Hydrogen in the intergalactic medium (IGM) at redshift z ≃ 3, and to explain the fraction of baryons in local clusters of galaxies. The D/H measurements lead to predictions for the abundances of the other light nuclei, which generally agree with measurements. The remaining differences with some measurements can be explained by a combination of measurement and analysis errors or changes in the abundances after BBN. The measurements do not require physics beyond the standard BBN model. Instead, the agreement between the abundances is used to limit the non-standard physics.


Science ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 267 (5195) ◽  
pp. 192-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Copi ◽  
D. Schramm ◽  
M. Turner

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (H15) ◽  
pp. 304-304
Author(s):  
J. C. Berengut ◽  
V. A. Dzuba ◽  
V. V. Flambaum ◽  
J. A. King ◽  
M. G. Kozlov ◽  
...  

Current theories that seek to unify gravity with the other fundamental interactions suggest that spatial and temporal variation of fundamental constants is a possibility, or even a necessity, in an expanding Universe. Several studies have tried to probe the values of constants at earlier stages in the evolution of the Universe, using tools such as big-bang nucleosynthesis, the Oklo natural nuclear reactor, quasar absorption spectra, and atomic clocks (see, e.g. Flambaum & Berengut (2009)).


2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (12) ◽  
pp. 1561-1565
Author(s):  
Ng. K. Francis

We construct the neutrino mass models with non-vanishing θ13 and estimate the baryon asymmetry of the universe and subsequently derive the constraints on the inflaton mass and the reheating temperature after inflation. The great discovery of this decade, the detection of Higgs boson of mass 126 GeV and nonzero θ13, makes leptogenesis all the more exciting. Besides, the neutrino mass model is compatible with inflaton mass 1010–1013 GeV corresponding to reheating temperature TR ∼ 105–107 GeV to overcome the gravitino constraint in supersymmetry and big bang nucleosynthesis. When Daya Bay data θ13 ≈ 9° is included in the model, τ predominates over e and μ contributions, which are indeed a good sign. It is shown that neutrino mass models for a successful leptogenesis can be accommodated for a variety of inflationary models with a rather wide ranging inflationary scale.


2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (18n19) ◽  
pp. 3342-3353 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. V. FLAMBAUM ◽  
J. C. BERENGUT

We review recent works discussing the effects of variation of fundamental "constants" on a variety of physical systems. These are motivated by theories unifying gravity with other interactions that suggest the possibility of temporal and spatial variation of the fundamental constants in an expanding Universe. The effects of any potential variation of the fine-structure constant and fundamental masses could be seen in phenomena covering the lifespan of the Universe, from Big Bang nucleosynthesis to quasar absorption spectra to modern atomic clocks. We review recent attempts to find such variations and discuss some of the most promising new systems where huge enhancements of the effects may occur.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (08) ◽  
pp. 1950065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahani R. Makki ◽  
Mounib F. El Eid ◽  
Grant J. Mathews

The light elements and their isotopes were produced during standard big bang nucleosynthesis (SBBN) during the first minutes after the creation of the universe. Comparing the calculated abundances of these light species with observed abundances, it appears that all species match very well except for lithium (7Li) which is overproduced by the SBBN. This discrepancy is rather challenging for several reasons to be considered on astrophysical and on nuclear physics ground, or by invoking nonstandard assumptions which are the focus of this paper. In particular, we consider a variation of the chemical potentials of the neutrinos and their temperature. In addition, we investigated the effect of dark matter on 7Li production. We argue that including nonstandard assumptions can lead to a significant reduction of the 7Li abundance compared to that of SBBN. This aspect of lithium production in the early universe may help to resolve the outstanding cosmological lithium problem.


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