Precision Cosmology with the Lightest Elements
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
2025-11-11 v1
Abstract
This is a transcript of the joint talk we gave at the Sixth Gruber Cosmology Conference at Yale University on 3 October 2025. We describe the key role played by Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) in today's `Precision Cosmology', focusing in particular on the precise determination of the primordial abundance of deuterium. We describe the development of the ideas and methods of BBN research from their beginnings more than 75 years ago to the latest developments, and conclude with a forward look to likely advances expected towards the end of the current decade.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2511.06275,
title = {Precision Cosmology with the Lightest Elements},
author = {Max Pettini and Ryan Cooke},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2511.06275},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
15 pages, 8 Figures. To be published in the Ap&SS Astronomy Prize Awardees Collection by Springer Nature