Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Calculations Research Articles

The Neutron Mean Life and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

We explore the effect of neutron lifetime and its uncertainty on standard big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). BBN describes the cosmic production of the light nuclides, 1H, D, 3H+3He, 4He, and 7Li+7Be, in the first minutes of cosmic time. The neutron mean life τn has two roles in modern BBN calculations: (1) it normalizes the matrix element for weak n↔p interconversions, and (2) it sets the rate of free neutron decay after the weak interactions freeze-out. We review the history of the interplay between τn measurements and BBN, and present a study of the sensitivity of the light element abundances to the modern neutron lifetime measurements. We find that τn uncertainties dominate the predicted 4He error budget, but these theory errors remain smaller than the uncertainties in 4He observations, even with the dispersion in recent neutron lifetime measurements. For the other light element predictions, τn contributes negligibly to their error budget. Turning the problem around, we combine present BBN and cosmic microwave background (CMB) determinations of the cosmic baryon density to predict a “cosmologically preferred” mean life of τn(BBN+CMB)=870±16s, which is consistent with experimental mean life determinations. We show that if future astronomical and cosmological helium observations can reach an uncertainty of σobs(Yp)=0.001 in the 4He mass fraction Yp, this could begin to discriminate between the mean life determinations.

New Thermonuclear Rate of 7Li(d,n)24He Relevant to the Cosmological Lithium Problem

Abstract Accurate 7Li(d,n)24He thermonuclear reaction rates are crucial for precise prediction of the primordial abundances of lithium and beryllium and to probe the mysteries beyond fundamental physics and the standard cosmological model. However, uncertainties still exist in current reaction rates of 7Li(d,n)24He widely used in big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) simulations. In this work, we reevaluate the 7Li(d,n)24He reaction rate using the latest data on the three near-threshold 9Be excited states from experimental measurements. We present for the first time uncertainties that are directly constrained by experiments. Additionally, we take into account for the first time the contribution from the subthreshold resonance at 16.671 MeV of 9Be. We obtain a 7Li(d,n)24He rate that is overall smaller than the previous estimation by about a factor of 60 at the typical temperature of the onset of primordial nucleosynthesis. We implemented our new rate in BBN calculations, and we show that the new rates have a very limited impact on the final light element abundances in uniform density models. Typical abundance variations are in the order of 0.002%. For nonuniform density BBN models, the predicted 7Li production can be increased by 10% and the primordial production of light nuclides with mass number A > 7 can be increased by about 40%. Our results confirm that the cosmological lithium problem remains a long-standing unresolved puzzle from the standpoint of nuclear physics.

Re-evaluation of [formula omitted] of the normalised Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker model: Implications for Hubble constant determinations

The description of spacetime is an fundamental problem of cosmology. We explain why the current assignments of spacetime geometries for Ωk of the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) model are probably incorrect and suggest more useful descriptions. We show that Ωk represents not only curvature but the influence of matter density on the extent of spacetime between massive objects. Recent analyses of supernovae type Ia (SNe Ia) and HII/GEHR data with the FLRW model present the best fits with a small value for Ωm and a large Ωk. These results are consistent with our Universe exhibiting sparse matter density and quasi-Euclidean geometry and the small Ωm value agrees with Big Bang nucleosynthesis calculations. We suggest the geometry of our current Universe is better described by a value for Ωk≈1 rather than 0. As an example we extend the FLRW model towards the Big Bang and discover a simple explanation of how matter creation developed into the currently geometrically flat Universe with sparse, homogeneous, isotropic matter and energy distributions. Assigning Ωk≈1 to describe quasi-Euclidean spacetime geometry is also useful for estimating H0 and should help resolve the “tension” surrounding current estimates by different investigators.

The baryon density of the Universe from an improved rate of deuterium burning.

Light elements were produced in the first few minutes of the Universe through a sequence of nuclear reactions known as Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN)1,2. Among the light elements produced during BBN1,2, deuterium is an excellent indicator of cosmological parameters because its abundance is highly sensitive to the primordial baryon density and also depends on the number of neutrino species permeating the early Universe. Although astronomical observations of primordial deuterium abundance have reached percent accuracy3, theoretical predictions4-6 based on BBN are hampered by large uncertainties on the cross-section of the deuterium burning D(p,γ)3He reaction. Here we show that our improved cross-sections of this reaction lead to BBN estimates of the baryon density at the 1.6 percent level, in excellent agreement with a recent analysis of the cosmic microwave background7. Improved cross-section data were obtained by exploiting the negligible cosmic-ray background deep underground at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) of the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (Italy)8,9. We bombarded a high-purity deuterium gas target10 with an intense proton beam from the LUNA 400-kilovolt accelerator11 and detected the γ-rays from the nuclear reaction under study with a high-purity germanium detector. Our experimental results settle the most uncertain nuclear physics input to BBN calculations and substantially improve the reliability of using primordial abundances to probe the physics of the early Universe.

Limits from BBN on light electromagnetic decays

Injection of electromagnetic energy — photons, electrons, or positrons — into the plasma of the early universe can destroy light elements created by primordial Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN). The success of BBN at predicting primordial abundances has thus been used to impose stringent constraints on decay or annihilation processes with primary energies near or above the electroweak scale. In this work we investigate the constraints from BBN on electromagnetic decays that inject lower energies, between 1–100 MeV. We compute the electromagnetic cascade from such injections and we show that it can deviate significantly from the universal spectrum commonly used in BBN calculations. For electron injection below 100 MeV, we find that the final state radiation of photons can have a significant impact on the resulting spectrum relevant for BBN. We also apply our results on electromagnetic cascades to investigate the limits from BBN on light electromagnetic decays prior to recombination, and we compare them to other bounds on such decays.

One Percent Determination of the Primordial Deuterium Abundance*

Abstract We report a reanalysis of a near-pristine absorption system, located at a redshift toward the quasar Q1243+307, based on the combination of archival and new data obtained with the HIRES echelle spectrograph on the Keck telescope. This absorption system, which has an oxygen abundance [O/H] = −2.769 ± 0.028 (≃1/600 of the solar abundance), is among the lowest metallicity systems currently known where a precise measurement of the deuterium abundance is afforded. Our detailed analysis of this system concludes, on the basis of eight D i absorption lines, that the deuterium abundance of this gas cloud is , which is in very good agreement with the results previously reported by Kirkman et al., but with an improvement on the precision of this single measurement by a factor of ∼3.5. Combining this new estimate with our previous sample of six high precision and homogeneously analyzed D/H measurements, we deduce that the primordial deuterium abundance is or, expressed as a linear quantity, this value corresponds to a one percent determination of the primordial deuterium abundance. Combining our result with a big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) calculation that uses the latest nuclear physics input, we find that the baryon density derived from BBN agrees to within 2σ of the latest results from the Planck cosmic microwave background data.

Effects of sterile neutrinos and an extra dimension on big bang nucleosynthesis

By assuming the existence of extra-dimensional sterile neutrinos in big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) epoch, we investigate the sterile neutrino ($\nu_{\rm s}$) effects on the BBN and constrain some parameters associated with the $\nu_{\rm s}$ properties. First, for cosmic expansion rate, we take into account effects of a five-dimensional bulk and intrinsic tension of the brane embedded in the bulk, and constrain a key parameter of the extra dimension by using the observational element abundances. Second, effects of the $\nu_{\rm s}$ traveling on or off the brane are considered. In this model, the effective mixing angle between a $\nu_{\rm s}$ and an active neutrino depends on energy, which may give rise to a resonance effect on the mixing angle. Consequently, reaction rate of the $\nu_{\rm s}$ can be drastically changed during the cosmic evolution. We estimated abundances and temperature of the $\nu_{\rm s}$ by solving the rate equation as a function of temperature until the sterile neutrino decoupling. We then find that the relic abundance of the $\nu_{\rm s}$ is drastically enhanced by the extra-dimension and maximized for a characteristic resonance energy $E_{\rm res}\gtrsim 0.01$ GeV. Finally, some constraints related to the $\nu_{\rm s}$, mixing angle and mass difference, are discussed in detail with the comparison of our BBN calculations corrected by the extra-dimensional $\nu_{\rm s}$ to observational data on light element abundances.

Measurement of the cross section for the 4He(α, n)7Be reaction as a possible solution to the cosmological lithium problem

The cross section for the 4He(α,n)7Be reaction was measured at low energies between Eα = 38.50 and 39.64 MeV motivated by the cosmological lithium problem. On the basis of the detailed balance principle, the cross section for the 7Be(n,α)4He reaction was obtained at Ec.m. = 0.20−0.81 MeV close to the Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) energy window for the first time. The obtained cross sections are significantly smaller than the theoretical estimation widely used in the BBN calculations. The present results suggest the 7Be(n,α)4He reaction rate is not large enough to solve the cosmological lithium problem.

Constraints on vacuum energy from structure formation and Nucleosynthesis

This paper derives an upper limit on the density ρΛ of dark energy based on the requirement that cosmological structure forms before being frozen out by the eventual acceleration of the universe. By allowing for variations in both the cosmological parameters and the strength of gravity, the resulting constraint is a generalization of previous limits. The specific parameters under consideration include the amplitude Q of the primordial density fluctuations, the Planck mass Mpl, the baryon-to-photon ratio η, and the density ratio ΩM/Ωb. In addition to structure formation, we use considerations from stellar structure and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) to constrain these quantities. The resulting upper limit on the dimensionless density of dark energy becomes ρΛ/Mpl4 < 10−90, which is ∼30 orders of magnitude larger than the value in our universe ρΛ/Mpl4 ∼ 10−120. This new limit is much less restrictive than previous constraints because additional parameters are allowed to vary. With these generalizations, a much wider range of universes can develop cosmic structure and support observers. To constrain the constituent parameters, new BBN calculations are carried out in the regime where η and G = Mpl−2 are much larger than in our universe. If the BBN epoch were to process all of the protons into heavier elements, no hydrogen would be left behind to make water, and the universe would not be viable. However, our results show that some hydrogen is always left over, even under conditions of extremely large η and G, so that a wide range of alternate universes are potentially habitable.

Time-Reversal Measurement of the p -Wave Cross Sections of the Be7(n,α)He4 Reaction for the Cosmological Li Problem

The cross sections of the ^{7}Be(n,α)^{4}He reaction for p-wave neutrons were experimentally determined at E_{c.m.}=0.20-0.81 MeV slightly above the big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) energy window for the first time on the basis of the detailed balance principle by measuring the time-reverse reaction. The obtained cross sections are much larger than the cross sections for s-wave neutrons inferred from the recent measurement at the n_TOF facility in CERN, but significantly smaller than the theoretical estimation widely used in the BBN calculations. The present results suggest the ^{7}Be(n,α)^{4}He reaction rate is not large enough to solve the cosmological lithium problem, and this conclusion agrees with the recent result from the direct measurement of the s-wave cross sections using a low-energy neutron beam and the evaluated nuclear data library ENDF/B-VII.1.

Direct measurement of the 7Be(n, α)4 He reaction cross sections for the cosmological Li problem

The cross sections of the 7 Be(n, α)4 He reaction for p -wave neutrons were experimentally determined at Ec.m. = 0.20−0.81 MeV close to the Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) energy window for the first time on the basis of the detailed balance principle by measuring the time-reverse reaction. The obtained cross sections are much larger than the cross sections for s -wave neutrons inferred from the recent measurement at the n_TOF facility in CERN, but significantly smaller than the theoretical estimation widely used in the BBN calculations. The present results suggest the 7 Be(n, α)4 He reaction rate is not large enough to solve the cosmological lithium problem

Constraining nuclear data via cosmological observations: Neutrino energy transport and big bang nucleosynthesis

We introduce a new computational capability that moves toward a self-consistent calculation of neutrino transport and nuclear reactions for big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). Such a self-consistent approach is needed to be able to extract detailed information about nuclear reactions and physics beyond the standard model from precision cosmological observations of primordial nuclides and the cosmic microwave background radiation. We calculate the evolution of the early universe through the epochs of weak decoupling, weak freeze-out and big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) by simultaneously coupling a full strong, electromagnetic, and weak nuclear reaction network with a multi-energy group Boltzmann neutrino energy transport scheme. The modular structure of our approach allows the dissection of the relative contributions of each process responsible for evolving the dynamics of the early universe. Such an approach allows a detailed account of the evolution of the active neutrino energy distribution functions alongside and self-consistently with the nuclear reactions and entropy/heat generation and 'ow between the neutrino and photon/electron/positron/baryon plasma components. Our calculations reveal nonlinear feedback in the time evolution of neutrino distribution functions and plasma thermodynamic conditions. We discuss the time development of neutrino spectral distortions and concomitant entropy production and extraction from the plasma. These e↑ects result in changes in the computed values of the BBN deuterium and helium-4 yields that are on the order of a half-percent relative to a baseline standard BBN calculation with no neutrino transport. This is an order of magnitude larger e↑ect than in previous estimates. For particular implementations of quantum corrections in plasma thermodynamics, our calculations show a 0.4% increase in deuterium and a 0.6% decrease in 4 He over our baseline. The magnitude of these changes are on the order of uncertainties in the nuclear physics for the case of deuterium and are potentially signi↓cant for the error budget of helium in upcoming cosmological observations.

THE PRIMORDIAL DEUTERIUM ABUNDANCE OF THE MOST METAL-POOR DAMPED Lyα SYSTEM∗

ABSTRACT We report the discovery and analysis of the most metal-poor damped Lyα (DLA) system currently known, which also displays the Lyman series absorption lines of neutral deuterium. The average [O/H] abundance of this system is [O/H] = −2.804 ± 0.015, which includes an absorption component with [O/H] = −3.07 ± 0.03. Despite the unfortunate blending of many weak D i absorption lines, we report a precise measurement of the deuterium abundance of this system. Using the six highest-quality and self-consistently analyzed measures of D/H in DLAs, we report tentative evidence for a subtle decrease of D/H with increasing metallicity. This trend must be confirmed with future high-precision D/H measurements spanning a range of metallicity. A weighted mean of these six independent measures provides our best estimate of the primordial abundance of deuterium, 105 (D/H)P = 2.547 ± 0.033 ( ). We perform a series of detailed Monte Carlo calculations of Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) that incorporate the latest determinations of several key nuclear reaction cross-sections, and propagate their associated uncertainty. Combining our measurement of (D/H)P with these BBN calculations yields an estimate of the cosmic baryon density, 100 ΩB,0 h 2(BBN) = 2.156 ± 0.020, if we adopt the most recent theoretical determination of the reaction rate. This measure of ΩB,0 h 2 differs by ∼2.3σ from the Standard Model value estimated from the Planck observations of the cosmic microwave background. Using instead a reaction rate that is based on the best available experimental cross-section data, we estimate 100 ΩB,0 h 2(BBN) = 2.260 ± 0.034, which is in somewhat better agreement with the Planck value. Forthcoming measurements of the crucial cross-section may shed further light on this discrepancy.

Neutrinos and Nuclear Astrophysics at LUNA

Nuclear astrophysics plays an important role in understanding open issues of neutrino physics. As an example, the two key reactions of the solar p-p chain 3He(3He, 2p)4He and 3He(4He, γ)7Be have been studied at low energy with LUNA, providing an accurate experimental footing for the Standard Solar Model and consequently to study the neutrino mixing parameters. The LUNA collaboration is now studying the D(p, γ)3He reaction at Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) energies. The poor knowledge of this reaction is the main source of the uncertainty of the primordial abundance of deuterium in BBN calculations. In turn, the abundance of deuterium depends on the number of relativistic species existing in the early Universe, making the comparison between observed an calculated abundance of deuterium a powerful tool to constrain the existence of light sterile neutrinos or any other type of “dark radiation”.

Big bang nucleosynthesis: Present status

Big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) describes the production of the lightest nuclides via a dynamic interplay among the four fundamental forces during the first seconds of cosmic time. We briefly overview the essentials of this physics, and present new calculations of light element abundances through li6 and li7, with updated nuclear reactions and uncertainties including those in the neutron lifetime. We provide fits to these results as a function of baryon density and of the number of neutrino flavors, N_nu. We review recent developments in BBN, particularly new, precision Planck cosmic microwave background (CMB) measurements that now probe the baryon density, helium content, and the effective number of degrees of freedom, n_eff. These measurements allow for a tight test of BBN and of cosmology using CMB data alone. Our likelihood analysis convolves the 2015 Planck data chains with our BBN output and observational data. Adding astronomical measurements of light elements strengthens the power of BBN. We include a new determination of the primordial helium abundance in our likelihood analysis. New D/H observations are now more precise than the corresponding theoretical predictions, and are consistent with the Standard Model and the Planck baryon density. Moreover, D/H now provides a tight measurement of N_nu when combined with the CMB baryon density, and provides a 2sigma upper limit N_nu < 3.2. The new precision of the CMB and of D/H observations together leave D/H predictions as the largest source of uncertainties. Future improvement in BBN calculations will therefore rely on improved nuclear cross section data. In contrast with D/H and he4, li7 predictions continue to disagree with observations, perhaps pointing to new physics.

The Underground Nuclear Astrophysics in the Precision Era of BBN: Present Results and Future Perspectives

The abundance of light isotopes such as D, 3He, 4He, 6Li and 7Li produced during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) only depends on particle physics, baryon density and relevant nuclear processes. At BBN energies (0.01 ÷ 1 MeV) the cross section of many BBN processes is very low because of the Coulomb repulsion between the interacting nuclei. As low-energy measurements on earth's surface are predominantly hampered by the effects of cosmic rays in the detectors, it is convenient to study the relevant reactions with facilities operating deep underground. Starting from the present uncertainty of the relevant parameters in BBN (i.e. baryon density, observed abundance of isotopes and nuclear cross-sections), it will be shown that the study of several reactions of the BBN chain, with existing or proposed underground accelerator facilities, can improve the accuracy of BBN calculations, providing a powerful tool to constrain astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics. In particular, a precise measurement of D(p, γ)3He reaction at BBN energies is of primary importance to calculate the baryon density of universe with an accuracy similar to the one obtained by Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiments, and to constrain the number of active neutrino species. For what concern the so called ’’Lithium problems”, i.e. the disagreement between computed and observed abundances of the 7Li and 6Li isotopes, it will be also shown the importance of a renewed study of the D(α, γ) 6Li reaction.

The variation of the baryon-to-photon ratio during different cosmological epochs due to decay and annihilation of dark matter

An influence of annihilation and decay of the dark matter particles on the baryon-to-photon ratio has been studied for different cosmological epochs. We consider the different parameter values of the dark matter particles such as mass, annihilation cross section, lifetime and so on. The obtained results are compared with the data which come from the Big Bang nucleosynthesis calculation and from the analysis of the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation. It has been shown that the modern value of the dark matter density ΩCDM = 0.26 is enough to provide the variation of the baryon-to-photon ratio up to Δη/η ∼ 0.01÷1 for decay of the dark matter particles, but it also leads to an excess of the diffuse gamma ray background. We use the observational data on the diffuse gamma ray background in order to determine our constraints on the model of the dark matter particle decay and on the corresponding variation of the baryon-to-photon ratio: Δη/η ≲ 10-5. It has been shown that the variation of the baryon-to-photon ratio caused by the annihilation of the dark matter particles is negligible during the cosmological epochs from Big Bang nucleosynthesis to the present epoch.

The cosmological lithium problem outside the Galaxy: the Sagittarius globular cluster M54★

The cosmological Li problem is the observed discrepancy between Li abundance (A(Li)) measured in Galactic dwarf, old and metal-poor stars (traditionally assumed to be equal to the initial value A(Li)0), and that predicted by standard big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) calculations (A(Li)BBN). Here, we attack the Li problem by considering an alternative diagnostic, namely the surface Li abundance of red giant branch stars that in a colour–magnitude diagram populate the region between the completion of the first dredge-up and the red giant branch bump. We obtained high-resolution spectra with the FLAMES facility at the Very Large Telescope for a sample of red giants in the globular cluster M54, belonging to the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. We obtain A(Li) = 0.93 ± 0.11 dex, translating – after taking into account the dilution due to the dredge-up – to initial abundances (A(Li)0) in the range 2.35–2.29 dex, depending on whether or not atomic diffusion is considered. This is the first measurement of Li in the Sagittarius galaxy and the more distant estimate of A(Li)0 in old stars obtained so far. The A(Li)0 estimated in M54 is lower by ∼0.35 dex than A(Li)BBN, hence incompatible at a level of ∼3σ. Our result shows that this discrepancy is a universal problem concerning both the Milky Way and extragalactic systems. Either modifications of BBN calculations, or a combination of atomic diffusion plus a suitably tuned additional mixing during the main sequence, need to be invoked to solve the discrepancy.

First direct measurement of the 2H(α,γ)6Li cross section at big bang energies and the primordial lithium problem.

Recent observations of (6)Li in metal poor stars suggest a large production of this isotope during big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). In standard BBN calculations, the (2)H(α,γ)(6)Li reaction dominates (6)Li production. This reaction has never been measured inside the BBN energy region because its cross section drops exponentially at low energy and because the electric dipole transition is strongly suppressed for the isoscalar particles (2)H and α at energies below the Coulomb barrier. Indirect measurements using the Coulomb dissociation of (6)Li only give upper limits owing to the dominance of nuclear breakup processes. Here, we report on the results of the first measurement of the (2)H(α,γ)(6)Li cross section at big bang energies. The experiment was performed deep underground at the LUNA 400 kV accelerator in Gran Sasso, Italy. The primordial (6)Li/(7)Li isotopic abundance ratio has been determined to be (1.5 ± 0.3) × 10(-5), from our experimental data and standard BBN theory. The much higher (6)Li/(7)Li values reported for halo stars will likely require a nonstandard physics explanation, as discussed in the literature.

BIG BANG NUCLEOSYNTHESIS REVISITED VIA TROJAN HORSE METHOD MEASUREMENTS

Nuclear reaction rates are among the most important input for understanding the primordial nucleosynthesis and therefore for a quantitative description of the early Universe. An up-to-date compilation of direct cross sections of 2H(d,p)3H, 2H(d,n)3He, 7Li(p,alpha)4He and 3He(d,p)4He reactions is given. These are among the most uncertain cross sections used and input for Big Bang nucleosynthesis calculations. Their measurements through the Trojan Horse Method (THM) are also reviewed and compared with direct data. The reaction rates and the corresponding recommended errors in this work were used as input for primordial nucleosynthesis calculations to evaluate their impact on the 2H, 3,4He and 7Li primordial abundances, which are then compared with observations.