Related papers: A primordial r-process?
In rapid neutron capture, or r-process, nucleosynthesis, heavy elements are built up via a sequence of neutron captures and beta decays that involves thousands of nuclei far from stability. Though we understand the basics of how the…
Properties of high-density strong-interaction matter of relevance for astrophysical scenarios that involve neutron stars are discussed. It is argued that theoretical and experimental insights from the small baryo-chemical potential…
Experiments with cold and ultracold neutrons have reached a level of precision such that problems far beyond the scale of the present Standard Model of particle physics become accessible to experimental investigation. Due to the close links…
A massive long-lived tau neutrino in the MeV regime modifies the primordial light-element abundances predicted by big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) calculations. This effect has been used to derive limits on the tau neutrino mass. Because…
Fissioning nuclei and fission fragments, nuclear fragments emerging from energetic collisions, or nuclei probed with various external fields can emit one or more pre-equilibrium neutrons, protons, and potentially other heavier nuclear…
We use network calculations of r-process nucleosynthesis to explore the origin of the peak in the solar r-process abundance distribution near nuclear mass number A = 160. The peak is due to a subtle interplay of nuclear deformation and beta…
The synthesis of nuclei in diverse cosmic scenarios is reviewed, with a summary of the basic concepts involved before a discussion of the current status in each case is made. We review the physics of the early universe, the proton to…
There has been significant progress in the understanding of the r-process over the last ten years. The conditions required for this process have been examined in terms of the parameters for adiabatic expansion from high temperature and…
We report on the results of a recent evaluation of all percent level corrections to weak rates of processes converting n <-> p, which are crucial for the determination of the 4He mass fraction produced during primordial nucleosynthesis.
We study the primordial neutron to baryon ratio in a cosmological expanding background within the context of non-extensive statistics, in a fully analytical approach. First order corrections to the weak interaction rates and energy…
We include correlations between elemental abundances in a Monte Carlo statistical analysis of BBN predictions, which, along with updated reaction rates and an improved BBN code, lead to tightened constraints on $\Omega_{B}$ and $N_{\nu}$.…
This article presents an original code for Big Bang Nucleosynthesis in a baryon inhomogeneous model of the universe. In this code neutron diffusion between high and low baryon density regions is calculated simultaneously with the nuclear…
The amount of deuterium relative to hydrogen (D/H) in clouds with close to primordial abundance seen at high redshift in the spectra of distant quasars currently provides the best estimate of the baryonic density of the Universe. The first…
If the next fundamental level of matter occurs (preons) then dark matter must consist of familons containing a "hot" component from massless particles and a "cold" component from massive particles. During evolution of the Universe this dark…
We study the implications of precision measurements of light-element abundances, in combination with the Cosmic Microwave Background, for scenarios of physics beyond the Standard Model that generate large inhomogeneities in the…
Big Bang nucleosynthesis in the presence of decaying relic neutral particles is examined in detail. All non-thermal processes important for the determination of light-element abundance yields of 2H, 3H, 3He, 4He, 6Li, and 7Li are coupled to…
The primordial abundance of deuterium produced during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) depends sensitively on the universal ratio of baryons to photons, an important cosmological parameter probed independently by the Cosmic Microwave…
Recently conformal Weyl gravity has been considered as a candidate alternative gravity theory. This fourth-order theory is attractive because it is the only metric theory of gravity which is invariant under local conformal transformations…
Hadronic inhomogeneities are formed after the quark hadron phase transition. The nature of the phase transition dictates the nature of the inhomogeneities formed. Recently some scenarios of inhomogeneities have been discussed where the…
Recent spacecraft observations exploring solar system properties impact standard paradigms of the formation of stars, planets and comets. We stress the unexpected cloud of microscopic dust resulting from the DEEP IMPACT mission, and the…