Related papers: Refined Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Constraints on $\…
To elucidate the significance of the effect of systematic uncertainties in light element abundance estimates on cosmological bounds derivable from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) we present tables giving bounds on $\Omega_{baryon}$ and…
I present a review of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, concentrating on the statistical analysis of theoretical uncertainties, and on systematic errors in observed abundances. Both have important implications for constraints on the amount of…
Limits can be placed on nonstandard neutrino physics when big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) calculations employing standard neutrino physics agree with the observationally inferred primordial abundances of deuterium (D), $^3$He, $^4$He, and…
A new evaluation of the constraint on the number of light neutrino species (N_nu) from big bang nucleosynthesis suggests a discrepancy between the predicted light element abundances and those inferred from observations, unless the inferred…
A new observation of D in a primordial gas cloud, made using the high resolution spectrograph at the Keck telescope, indicates an abundance $ D/H =(1.9-2.5) \times 10^{-4}$ \cite{SCHR}. Since deuterium is destroyed by stars, and the…
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis represents perhaps the first, and still perhaps the most powerful particle-astrophysics connection. As such, it should provide an example for other work in this area. I discuss the current status of standard model…
We examine in detail how BBN theory is constrained, and what predictions it can make, when using only the most model-independent observational constraints. We avoid the uncertainties and model-dependencies that necessarily arise when solar…
We report the results on Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) based on an updated code, with accuracy of the order of 0.1% on He4 abundance, compared with the predictions of other recent similar analysis. We discuss the compatibility of the…
A recent analysis of the He4 abundance determined from observations of extragalactic HII regions indicates a significantly greater uncertainty for the He4 mass fraction. The derived value is now in line with predictions from big bang…
We take a fresh look at the limits on the number of neutrino flavors derived from big bang nucleosynthesis. In particular, recent measurements of the \he4 abundance enable one to estimate the primordial \he4 mass fraction at $Y_p = 0.232…
We present new Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) limits on the cosmic expansion rate or relativistic energy density, quantified via the number $N_\nu$ of equivalent neutrino species. We use the latest light element observations, neutron mean…
We explore constraints on extensions to the standard models of cosmology and particle physics which modify the early-Universe expansion rate S = H'/H (parametrized by the effective number of neutrinos N_nu). The constraints on N_nu and the…
We re-examine the systematic errors in the determination of the primordial helium abundance, $Y_{\rm P}$. We find that the systematics are significantly larger than the statistical errors. The uncertainty in (the determination of) $Y_{\rm…
We derive constraints from standard (with $N_\nu = 3$) BBN arising solely from two cosmologically produced nuclides, \he4 and \li7, from which the extrapolation to primordial abundances is straightforward. The abundances of D and \he3 are…
A new upper limit on the amplitude of primordial magnetic field (PMF) is derived by a comparison between a calculation of elemental abundances in big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) model and the latest observational constraints on the…
We examine Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) in the case of inhomogenous neutrino degeneracy, in the limit where the fluctuations are sufficiently small on large length scales that the present-day element abundances are homogeneous. We…
We compute the big bang nucleosynthesis limit on the number of light neutrino degrees of freedom in a model-independent likelihood analysis based on the abundances of He4 and Li7. We use the two-dimensional likelihood functions to…
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) explores the first few minutes of nuclei formation after the Big Bang. We present updates that result in new constraints at the 2{\sigma} level for the abundances of the four primary light nuclides -…
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…
Motivated by the recent measurement of the primeval abundance of deuterium, we re-examine the nuclear inputs to big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). Using Monte-Carlo realization of the nuclear cross-section data to directly estimate the…