Abstract
The <sup>2</sup>H(α, γ)<sup>6</sup>Li reaction is the leading process for the production of <sup>6</sup>Li in standard Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. Recent observations of lithium abundance in metal-poor halo stars suggest that there might be a 6Li plateau, similar to the well-known Spite plateau of <sup>7</sup>Li. This calls for a re-investigation of the standard production channel for <sup>6</sup>Li. As the <sup>2</sup>H(α, γ)<sup>6</sup>Li cross section drops steeply at low energy, it has never before been studied directly at Big Bang energies. For the first time the reaction has been studied directly at Big Bang energies at the LUNA accelerator. The preliminary data and their implications for Big Bang nucleosynthesis and the purported <sup>6</sup>Li problem will be shown.
Highlights
Their abundance depends on the standard model physics, on the baryon-to-photon ratio η and on the nuclear cross sections of involved processes
The amount of 6Li observed in metal poor stars is unexpectedly large compared to Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) predictions, about 3 order of magnitude higher than the calculated value
The cross section of 2H(α, γ)6Li reaction has been measured for the first time at BBN energy
Summary
Their abundance depends on the standard model physics, on the baryon-to-photon ratio η and on the nuclear cross sections of involved processes. The amount of 6Li observed in metal poor stars is unexpectedly large compared to Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) predictions, about 3 order of magnitude higher than the calculated value (see Fig. 2).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
