Related papers: Solving the cosmic lithium problems with primordia…
We analyze the effect of variation of fundamental couplings and mass scales on primordial nucleosynthesis in a systematic way. The first step establishes the response of primordial element abundances to the variation of a large number of…
We show that a nonstandard cosmological history with a period of early matter domination driven by a sub-TeV visible-sector particle can arise rather naturally. This scenario involves a long-lived standard model singlet that acquires a…
Recent determinations of the deuterium abundance, $^2$H/H, in high redshift Lyman limit hydrogen clouds challenge the usual picture of primordial nucleosynthesis based on \lq\lq concordance\rq\rq\ of the calculated light element ($^2$H,…
A detailed analysis of primordial nucleosynthesis predictions for light element abundances is performed. Contents: 1. The standard cosmology: an overview. 2. Primordial nucleosynthesis. 3. The Born rates for n<->p reactions. 4. Finite…
We have recently considered cosmologies in which the Universal scale factor varies as a power of the age of the Universe and concluded that they cannot satisfy the observational constraints on the present age, the magnitude-redshift…
Within the first 20 minutes of the evolution of the hot, dense, early Universe, astrophysically interesting abundances of deuterium, helium-3, helium-4, and lithium-7 were synthesized by the cosmic nuclear reactor. The primordial abundances…
Light element nucleosynthesis is an important chapter of nuclear astrophysics. Specifically, the rare and fragile light nuclei Lithium, Beryllium and Boron (LiBeB) are not generated in the normal course of stellar nucleosynthesis (except…
We investigate the spectacular collider signatures of macroscopically displaced, neutral particles that decay to Higgs bosons and missing energy. We show that such long-lived particles arise naturally in a very minimal extension of the…
Cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations suggest the possibility of an extra dark radiation component, while the current evidence from big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) is more ambiguous. Dark radiation from a decaying particle can…
We investigate the observational constraints on the inhomogeneous big-bang nucleosynthesis that Matsuura et al. suggested the possibility of the heavy element production beyond ${}^7$Li in the early universe. From the observational…
The comparison of cosmic abundances of the light elements with the density of baryonic stars and gas in the universe today provides a critical test of big bang theory and a powerful probe of the nature of dark matter. A new technique allows…
Axion-like particles (ALPs) decaying into photons are known to affect a wide range of astrophysical and cosmological observables. In this study we focus on ALPs with masses in the keV-MeV range and lifetimes between $10^4$ and $10^{13}$…
During Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), in the first 20 minutes of the evolution of the Universe, the light nuclides, D, 3He, 4He, and 7Li were synthesized in astrophysically interesting abundances. The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation…
We consider a class of late-decaying dark-matter models, in which a dark matter particle decays to a heavy stable daughter of approximately the same mass, together with one or more relativistic particles which carry away only a small…
We examine the possibility that Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) may produce non-trivial amounts of $^6$Li. If a primordial component of this isotope could be observed, it would provide a new fundamental test of Big-Bang cosmology, as well as…
Primordial nucleosynthesis is considered a success story of the standard big bang (SBB) cosmology. The cosmological and elementary particle physics parameters are believed to be severely constrained by the requirement of correct abundances…
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…
Standard Big Bang Nucleosynthesis at the baryon density determined by the microwave anisotropy spectrum predicts an excess of \li7 compared to observations by a factor of 4-5. In contrast, BBN predictions for D/H are somewhat below (but…
Supersymmetric models often predict a lightest superpartner (LSP) which is electrically charged and stable on the timescales of collider experiments. If such a particle were to be observed experimentally, is it possible to determine whether…
The presence of a liquid solvent is widely regarded as an essential prerequisite for habitability. We investigate the conditions under which worlds outside the habitable zones of stars are capable of supporting liquid solvents on their…