Primordial Abundances Of Light Elements Research Articles

Early universe nucleosynthesis in massive conformal gravity

We study the dynamics of the early universe in massive conformal gravity. In particular, we show that the theory is consistent with the observed values of the primordial abundances of light elements if we consider the existence of right-handed sterile neutrinos.

ACROPOLIS: A generiC fRamework fOr Photodisintegration Of LIght elementS

The remarkable agreement between observations of the primordial light element abundances and the corresponding theoretical predictions within the standard cosmological history provides a powerful method to constrain physics beyond the standard model of particle physics (BSM). For a given BSM model these primordial element abundances are generally determined by (i) Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and (ii) possible subsequent disintegration processes. The latter potentially change the abundances due to late-time high-energy injections which may be present in these scenarios. While there are a number of public codes for the first part, no such code is currently available for the second. Here we close this gap and present ACROPOLIS, A generiC fRamework fOr Photodisintegration Of LIght elementS. The widely discussed cases of decays as well as annihilations can be run without prior coding knowledge within example programs. Furthermore, due to its modular structure, can easily be extended also to other scenarios.For the most recent version of this manual, please visit the GitHub repository at https://github.com/skumblex/acropolis.

A new tension in the cosmological model from primordial deuterium?

ABSTRACT Recent measurements of the D(p,γ)3He nuclear reaction cross-section and of the neutron lifetime, along with the reevaluation of the cosmological baryon abundance from cosmic microwave background (CMB) analysis, call for an update of abundance predictions for light elements produced during the big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). While considered as a pillar of the hot big-bang model in its early days, BBN constraining power mostly rests on deuterium abundance. We point out a new ≃1.8σ tension on the baryonic density, or equivalently on the D/H abundance, between the value inferred on one hand from the analysis of the primordial abundances of light elements and, on the other hand, from the combination of CMB and baryonic oscillation data. This draws the attention on this sector of the theory and gives us the opportunity to reevaluate the status of BBN in the context of precision cosmology. Finally, this paper presents an upgrade of the BBN code primat.

An extended analysis of Heavy Neutral Leptons during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

Heavy Neutral Leptons (HNLs) are strongly motivated by theory due to their capability of simultaneously explaining the observed phenomena of dark matter, neutrino oscillations and the baryon asymmetry of the Universe. The existence of such particles would affect the expansion history of the Universe and the synthesis of primordial abundances of light elements. In this work we review, revise and extend the phenomenology of HNLs during the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) epoch for masses up to 1 GeV. This is of great importance, as BBN is able to provide complementary bounds to those from upcoming and proposed laboratory experiments. To this end we have developed a high-precision Boltzmann code that simulates BBN in the presence of HNLs and takes into account all relevant HNL decay channels, as well as subsequent interactions of decay products (thermalization and decay showers), dilution due to QCD phase transition, active neutrino oscillations and corrections to the weak reaction rates. We present robust bounds on the lifetime and mixing angles of HNLs for masses 3 MeV ⩽ mN ⩽ 1 GeV and show that BBN is able to constrain HNL lifetimes down to 0.03–0.05 s, depending on the mixing pattern. Moreover, combining our results with current experimental searches, we can exclude HNLs that mix purely with electron neutrinos up to ∼450 MeV and those that mix purely with muon neutrinos up to ∼360 MeV, in both cases for lifetimes up to at least a few tens of seconds. Finally, we compare the BBN constraints with those obtained from Cosmic Microwave Background observations and explore how our results will be improved by a number of upcoming and proposed laboratory experiments.

The KBC void and Hubble tension contradict ΛCDM on a Gpc scale − Milgromian dynamics as a possible solution

ABSTRACT The KBC void is a local underdensity with the observed relative density contrast δ ≡ 1 − ρ/ρ0 = 0.46 ± 0.06 between 40 and 300 Mpc around the Local Group. If mass is conserved in the Universe, such a void could explain the 5.3σ Hubble tension. However, the MXXL simulation shows that the KBC void causes 6.04σ tension with standard cosmology (ΛCDM). Combined with the Hubble tension, ΛCDM is ruled out at 7.09σ confidence. Consequently, the density and velocity distribution on Gpc scales suggest a long-range modification to gravity. In this context, we consider a cosmological MOND model supplemented with $11 \, \rm {eV}/c^{2}$ sterile neutrinos. We explain why this νHDM model has a nearly standard expansion history, primordial abundances of light elements, and cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies. In MOND, structure growth is self-regulated by external fields from surrounding structures. We constrain our model parameters with the KBC void density profile, the local Hubble and deceleration parameters derived jointly from supernovae at redshifts 0.023−0.15, time delays in strong lensing systems, and the Local Group velocity relative to the CMB. Our best-fitting model simultaneously explains these observables at the $1.14{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ confidence level (2.53σ tension) if the void is embedded in a time-independent external field of ${0.055 \, a_{_0}}$. Thus, we show for the first time that the KBC void can naturally resolve the Hubble tension in Milgromian dynamics. Given the many successful a priori MOND predictions on galaxy scales that are difficult to reconcile with ΛCDM, Milgromian dynamics supplemented by $11 \, \rm {eV}/c^{2}$ sterile neutrinos may provide a more holistic explanation for astronomical observations across all scales.

Status, Challenges and Directions in Indirect Dark Matter Searches

Indirect searches for dark matter are based on detecting an anomalous flux of photons, neutrinos or cosmic-rays produced in annihilations or decays of dark matter candidates gravitationally accumulated in heavy cosmological objects, like galaxies, the Sun or the Earth. Additionally, evidence for dark matter that can also be understood as indirect can be obtained from early universe probes, like fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background temperature, the primordial abundance of light elements or the Hydrogen 21-cm line. The techniques needed to detect these different signatures require very different types of detectors: Air shower arrays, gamma- and X-ray telescopes, neutrino telescopes, radio telescopes or particle detectors in balloons or satellites. While many of these detectors were not originally intended to search for dark matter, they have proven to be unique complementary tools for direct search efforts. In this review we summarize the current status of indirect searches for dark matter, mentioning also the challenges and limitations that these techniques encounter.

Effects of transient nonthermal particles on the big bang nucleosynthesis

The effects of introducing a small amount of nonthermal distribution (NTD) of elements in big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) are studied by allowing a fraction of the NTD to be time-dependent so that it contributes only during a certain period of the BBN evolution. The fraction is modeled as a Gaussian-shaped function of [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the temperature of the cosmos, and thus the function is specified by three parameters; the central temporal position, the width and the magnitude. The change in the average nuclear reaction rates due to the presence of the NTD is assumed to be proportional to the Maxwellian reaction rates but with temperature [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] being another parameter of our model. By scanning a wide four-dimensional parametric space at about half a million points, we have found about 130 points with [Formula: see text], at which the predicted primordial abundances of light elements are consistent with the observations. The magnitude parameter [Formula: see text] of these points turns out to be scattered over a very wide range from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text], and the [Formula: see text]-parameter is found to be strongly correlated with the magnitude parameter [Formula: see text]. The temperature region with [Formula: see text] or the temporal region [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s seems to play a central role in lowering [Formula: see text].

Prospects and limitations for constraining light relics with primordial abundance measurements

The light relic density affects the thermal and expansion history of the early Universe leaving a number of observable imprints. We focus on the primordial abundances of light elements produced during the process of Big Bang nucleosynthesis which are influenced by the light relic density. Primordial abundances can be used to infer the density of light relics and thereby serve as a probe of physics beyond the Standard Model. We calculate the observational uncertainty on primordial light element abundances and associated quantities that would be required in order for these measurements to achieve sensitivity to the light relic density comparable to that anticipated from upcoming cosmic microwave background surveys. We identify the nuclear reaction rates that need to be better measured to maximize the utility of future observations. We show that improved measurements of the primordial helium-4 abundance can improve constraints on light relics, while more precise measurements of the primordial deuterium abundance are unlikely to be competitive with cosmic microwave background measurements of the light relic density.

Improved BBN constraints on the variation of the gravitational constant

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) is very sensitive to the cosmological expansion rate. If the gravitational constant G took a different value during the nucleosynthesis epoch than today, the primordial abundances of light elements would be affected. In this work, we improve the bounds on this variation using recent determinations of the primordial element abundances, updated nuclear and weak reaction rates and observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). When combining the measured abundances and the baryon density from CMB observations by Planck, we find G_mathrm {BBN}/G_0 = 0.99^{+0.06}_{-0.05} at 2sigma confidence level. If the variation of G is linear in time, we find dot{G}/G_0 = 0.7^{+3.8}_{-4.3}times 10^{-12} , mathrm {year}^{-1}, again at 2sigma . These bounds are significantly stronger than those from previous primordial nucleosynthesis studies, and are comparable and complementary to CMB, stellar, solar system, lunar laser ranging, pulsar timing and gravitational wave constraints.

Cosmological bounds on neutrino statistics

We consider the phenomenological implications of the violation of the Pauli exclusion principle for neutrinos, focusing on cosmological observables such as the spectrum of Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and the primordial abundances of light elements. Neutrinos that behave (at least partly) as bosonic particles have a modified equilibrium distribution function that implies a different influence on the evolution of the Universe that, in the case of massive neutrinos, can not be simply parametrized by a change in the effective number of neutrinos. Our results show that, despite the precision of the available cosmological data, only very weak bounds can be obtained on neutrino statistics, disfavouring a more bosonic behaviour at less than 2σ.

Revisiting big-bang nucleosynthesis constraints on long-lived decaying particles

We study effects of long-lived massive particles, which decay during the big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) epoch, on the primordial abundances of light elements. Compared to the previous studies, (i) the reaction rates of the standard BBN reactions are updated, (ii) the most recent observational data of light element abundances and cosmological parameters are used, (iii) the effects of the interconversion of energetic nucleons at the time of inelastic scatterings with background nuclei are considered, and (iv) the effects of the hadronic shower induced by energetic high energy anti-nucleons are included. We compare the theoretical predictions on the primordial abundances of light elements with latest observational constraints, and derive upper bounds on relic abundance of the decaying particle as a function of its lifetime. We also apply our analysis to unstable gravitino, the superpartner of the graviton in supersymmetric theories, and obtain constraints on the reheating temperature after inflation.

Baryogenesis in nonminimally coupled f(R) theories

We generalize the mechanism for gravitational baryogensis in the context of $f(R)$ theories of gravity, including a nonminimal coupling between curvature and matter. In these models, the baryon asymmetry is generated through an effective coupling between the Ricci scalar curvature and the net baryon current that dynamically breaks Charge Conjugation, Parity and Time Reversal (CPT) invariance. We study the combinations of characteristic mass scales and exponents for both non-trivial functions present in the modified action functional and establish the allowed region for these parameters: we find that very small deviations from General Relativity are consistent with the observed baryon asymmetry and lead to temperatures compatible with the subsequent formation of the primordial abundances of light elements. In particular, we show the viability of a power-law nonminimal coupling function $f_2(R) \sim R^n$ with $ 0 < n \lesssim 0.078 $ and determine its characteristic curvature scale.

Constraining f(T) teleparallel gravity by big bang nucleosynthesis

We use Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) observational data on the primordial abundance of light elements to constrain f(T) gravity. The three most studied viable f(T) models, namely the power law, the exponential and the square-root exponential are considered, and the BBN bounds are adopted in order to extract constraints on their free parameters. For the power-law model, we find that the constraints are in agreement with those obtained using late-time cosmological data. For the exponential and the square-root exponential models, we show that for reliable regions of parameters space they always satisfy the BBN bounds. We conclude that viable f(T) models can successfully satisfy the BBN constraints.

Improved constraints on lepton asymmetry from the cosmic microwave background

A cosmic lepton asymmetry affects the primordial helium abundance and the expansion rate of the early Universe. Both of these effects have an impact on the anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We derive constraints on the neutrino chemical potentials from the Planck 2015 data, assuming equal lepton flavour asymmetries and negligible neutrino masses. We find (95% CL) for the chemical potentials, which corresponds to . Our constraints on the lepton asymmetry are significantly stronger than previous constraints from CMB data analysis and we argue that they are more robust than those from primordial light element abundances. The resulting constraints on the primordial helium and deuterium abundances are consistent with those from direct measurements.

Constraints on modified Gauss-Bonnet gravity during big bang nucleosynthesis

The modified gravity is considered to be one of possible explanations of the accelerated expansions of the present and the early universe. We study effects of the modified gravity on big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). If effects of the modified gravity are significant during the BBN epoch, they should be observed as changes of primordial light element abundances. We assume a $f(G)$ term with the Gauss-Bonnet term $G$, during the BBN epoch. A power-law relation of $df/dG \propto t^p$ where $t$ is the cosmic time was assumed for the function $f(G)$ as an example case. We solve time evolutions of physical variables during BBN in the $f(G)$ gravity model numerically, and analyzed calculated results. It is found that a proper solution for the cosmic expansion rate can be lost in some parameter region. In addition, we show that calculated results of primordial light element abundances can be significantly different from observational data. Especially, observational limits on primordial D abundance leads to the strongest constraint on the $f(G)$ gravity. We then derive constraints on parameters of the $f(G)$ gravity taking into account the existence of the solution of expansion rate and final light element abundances.

Revisiting big-bang nucleosynthesis constraints on dark-matter annihilation

We study the effects of dark-matter annihilation during the epoch of big-bang nucleosynthesis on the primordial abundances of light elements. We improve the calculation of the light-element abundances by taking into account the effects of anti-nucleons emitted by the annihilation of dark matter and the interconversion reactions of neutron and proton at inelastic scatterings of energetic nucleons. Comparing the theoretical prediction of the primordial light-element abundances with the latest observational constraints, we derive upper bounds on the dark-matter pair-annihilation cross section. Implication to some of particle-physics models are also discussed.

Scale-invariance as the origin of dark radiation?

Recent cosmological data favor R2-inflation and some amount of non-standard dark radiation in the Universe. We show that a framework of high energy scale invariance can explain these data. The spontaneous breaking of this symmetry provides gravity with the Planck mass and particle physics with the electroweak scale. We found that the corresponding massless Nambu–Goldstone bosons – dilatons – are produced at reheating by the inflaton decay right at the amount needed to explain primordial abundances of light chemical elements and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background. Then we extended the discussion on the interplay with Higgs-inflation and on general class of inflationary models where dilatons are allowed and may form the dark radiation. As a result we put a lower limit on the reheating temperature in a general scale invariant model of inflation.

Probing nuclear rates with Planck and BICEP2

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) relates key cosmological parameters to the primordial abundance of light elements. In this paper, we point out that the recent observations of Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies by the Planck satellite and by the BICEP2 experiment constrain these parameters with such a high level of accuracy that the primordial deuterium abundance can be inferred with remarkable precision. For a given cosmological model, one can obtain independent information on nuclear processes in the energy range relevant for BBN, which determine the eventual ^2H/H yield. In particular, assuming the standard cosmological model, we show that a combined analysis of Planck data and of recent deuterium abundance measurements in metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha systems provides independent information on the cross section of the radiative capture reaction d(p,\gamma)^3He converting deuterium into helium. Interestingly, the result is higher than the values suggested by a fit of present experimental data in the BBN energy range (10 - 300 keV), whereas it is in better agreement with ab initio theoretical calculations, based on models for the nuclear electromagnetic current derived from realistic interactions. Due to the correlation between the rate of the above nuclear process and the effective number of neutrinos Neff, the same analysis points out a Neff>3 as well. We show how this observation changes when assuming a non-minimal cosmological scenario. We conclude that further data on the d(p,\gamma)^3He cross section in the few hundred keV range, that can be collected by experiments like LUNA, may either confirm the low value of this rate, or rather give some hint in favour of next-to-minimal cosmological scenarios.

Gravitino LSP and leptogenesis after the first LHC results

Supersymmetric scenarios where the lightest superparticle (LSP) is the gravitinoare an attractive alternative to the widely studied case of a neutralino LSP.A strong motivation for a gravitino LSP arises from the possibility of achieving higherreheating temperatures and thus potentially allow for thermal leptogenesis.The predictions for the primordial abundances of light elements in the presence ofa late decaying next-to-LSP (NSLP) as well as the currently measured dark matterabundance allow us to probe the cosmological viability of such a scenario.Here we consider a gravitino-stau scenario. Utilizing a pMSSM scan we work outthe implications of the 7 and 8 TeV LHC results as well as other experimental andtheoretical constraints on the highest reheating temperatures that are cosmologicallyallowed. Our analysis shows that points with TR≳109 GeV survive only in avery particular corner of the SUSY parameter space. Those spectra feature a distinctsignature at colliders that could be looked at in the upcoming LHC run.

Testing a Dilaton Gravity Model Using Nucleosynthesis

Big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) offers one of the most strict evidences for theΛ-CDM cosmology at present, as well as the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. In this work, our main aim is to present the outcomes of our calculations related to primordial abundances of light elements, in the context of higher dimensional steady-state universe model in the dilaton gravity. Our results show that abundances of light elements (primordial D,3He,4He, T, and7Li) are significantly different for some cases, and a comparison is given between a particular dilaton gravity model andΛ-CDM in the light of the astrophysical observations.