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Currently there are two significantly different observational determinations of the primordial helium abundance, and, if only statistical errors in He4 abundance determinations are considered, the discrepancies between the observational…
Currently, the primordial helium abundance is best estimated through spectroscopic observations of H II regions in metal-poor galaxies. However these determinations are limited by several systematic uncertainties which ultimately limit our…
Within the standard models of particle physics and cosmology we have calculated the big-bang prediction for the primordial abundance of \he to a theoretical uncertainty of less than $0.1 \pct$ $(\delta Y_P < \pm 0.0002)$, improving the…
Observations of metal-poor extragalactic H II regions allow the determination of the primordial helium abundance, Y_p. The He I emissivities are the foundation of the model of the H II region's emission. Porter, Ferland, Storey, & Detisch…
Almost every helium atom in the Universe was created just a few minutes after the Big Bang through a process commonly referred to as Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. The amount of helium that was made during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis is determined…
The precision measurement of the primordial helium abundance $Y_p$ is a powerful probe of the early Universe. The most common way to determine $Y_p$ is analyses of observations of metal-poor \HII regions found in blue compact dwarf…
Primordial nucleosynthesis is one of the three historical evidences for the big bang model, together with the expansion of the universe and the cosmic microwave background. Now that the number of neutrino families and the baryonic densities…
We introduce a new statistical method to estimate the primordial helium abundance, Y_p from observed abundances in a sample of galaxies which have experienced stellar helium enrichment. Rather than using linear regression on metal abundance…
Extremely low metallicity HII regions have been observed with the goal of determining the primordial helium abundance ($Y_{\rm p}$). $Y_{\rm p}$, combined with standard big bang nucleosynthesis and the half-life of the neutron, provides a…
We have combined the detailed He I recombination model of Smits with the collisional transitions of Sawey & Berrington in order to produce new accurate helium emissivities that include the effects of collisional excitation from both the 2…
Spectroscopic observations of the chemical abundances in metal-poor H II regions provide an independent method for estimating the primordial helium abundance. H II regions are described by several physical parameters such as electron…
Standard big bang nucleosynthesis (BBNS) promises accurate predictions of the primordial abundances of deuterium, helium-3, helium-4 and lithium-7 as a function of a single parameter. Previous measurements have nearly always been…
The primordial helium abundance Y_p is commonly inferred from abundance determinations in low-metallicity extragalactic HII-regions. Such determinations may be subject to systematic uncertainties that are investigated here. Particular…
Observations of helium and hydrogen emission lines from metal-poor extragalactic H II regions provide an independent method for determining the primordial helium abundance, Y_p. Traditionally, the emission lines employed are in the visible…
I present a brief review on the determination of the primordial helium abundance by unit mass, Yp. I discuss the importance of the primordial helium abundance in: (a) cosmology, (b) testing the standard big bang nucleosynthesis, (c)…
We present a new determination of the primordial helium abundance based on new, high-quality Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) observations of 54 metal-poor H II regions. These regions have been observed and analyzed uniformly. We also…
Of the light element abundances capable of testing standard big bang nucleosynthesis, only He4 is measured with an accuracy of a few percent. Thus, it is imperative to establish a comprehensive technique for determining He4 abundances and…
The conventional approach to search for departures from the standard model of physics during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis involves a careful, and subtle measurement of the mass fraction of baryons consisting of helium. Recent measurements of…
The primordial abundance of 4He, Y_P, is one of the hottest themes in present-day astronomy, mostly due to its cosmological relevance. The disagreement between different determinations has been currently reduced to the 1-2 percent level,…
Observational measures of the primordial helium mass fraction, $Y_{\rm P}$, are of interest for cosmology and fundamental particle physics. Current measures obtained from H II regions agree with the Standard Model prediction to…