Related papers: The cosmic 6Li and 7Li problems and BBN with long-…
This paper is superseded by Arxiv:1911.07334. Big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) is a valuable tool to constrain the physics of the early universe and is the only probe of the radiation-dominated epoch. A fundamental assumption in BBN is that…
The discrepancy between the theoretical prediction of primordial lithium abundances and astronomical observations is called the Lithium Problem. We find that extra contributions from non-thermal hydrogen and helium during Big Bang…
As electromagnetic showers may alter the abundance of Helium, Lithium, and Deuterium, we can place severe constraints on the lifetime and amount of electromagnetic energy injected by long-lived particles. Considering up-to-date measurements…
The primordial 7Li abundance predicted by standard Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) exceeds that inferred from old, metal-poor stars by a factor of about 3-4. In standard BBN, most primordial 7Li is produced as 7Be in the early Universe and…
If the gravitino is the lightest supersymmetric particle and the long-lived next-to-lightest sparticle (NSP) is the stau, the charged partner of the tau lepton, it may be metastable and form bound states with several nuclei. These bound…
We propose a correction of the standard Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) scenario to resolve the primordial lithium problem by considering a possibility that the primordial plasma can deviate from the ideal state. In the standard BBN, the…
The primordial lithium problem remains a persistent motivation for new-physics modifications of Big Bang nucleosynthesis, yet the precision of the observed deuterium abundance now places strong constraints on such attempts. This indicates…
We extend a recently developed Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) code, {\tt PRyMordial}, to constrain a broad class of Grand Unified Theories to which BBN is sensitive, since these lead to varying fundamental couplings. A previously developed…
Oscillations between ordinary and sterile neutrinos can generate large neutrino asymmetries in the early universe. These asymmetries can significantly affect big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) through modification of nuclear reaction rates. We…
We consider the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) bounds on light dark matter whose cross section off nucleons is sufficiently large to enable acceleration by scattering off of cosmic rays in the local galaxy. Such accelerated DM could then…
Neutrino non-standard interactions (NSI) with electrons, predicted in many extended theoretical models of particle physics, are known to alter the picture of neutrino decoupling from the cosmic plasma. We update previous analyses of…
We perform calculations of dark photon production and decay in the early universe for ranges of dark photon masses and vacuum coupling with standard model photons. Simultaneously and self-consistently with dark photon production and decay,…
According to the standard models of particle physics and cosmology, there should be a background of cosmic neutrinos in the present Universe, similar to the cosmic microwave photon background. The weakness of the weak interactions renders…
Of the light nuclides observed in the universe today, D, 3He, 4He, and 7Li are relics from its early evolution. The primordial abundances of these relics, produced via Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) during the first half hour of the…
Using the recent WMAP determination of the baryon-to-photon ratio, 10^{10} \eta = 6.14 to within a few percent, big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) calculations can make relatively accurate predictions of the abundances of the light element…
The synthesis of Li6 during the epoch of Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) due to residual annihilation of dark matter particles is considered. By comparing the predicted Li6 to observations of this isotope in low-metallicity stars, generic…
To constrain the universe before recombination (380000 years after the Big Bang), we mostly rely on the measurements of the primordial abundances that indicate the first insight into the thermal history of the universe. The first production…
Recent spectroscopic observations of metal poor stars have indicated that both $^7$Li and $^6$Li have abundance plateaus with respect to the metallicity. Abundances of $^7$Li are about a factor three lower than the primordial abundance…
We review a non-standard Big-Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) scenario within the minimal supersymmetric standard model, and propose an idea to solve both ${}^{7}$Li and ${}^{6}$Li problems. Each problem is a discrepancy between the predicted…
We consider the effects of uncertainties in nuclear reaction rates on the cosmological constraints on the decays of unstable particles during or after Big-Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). We identify the nuclear reactions due to non-thermal…