Ref HAL: in2p3-00115592_v1
Ref Arxiv: hep-ph/0604251
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.74.103509
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
Exporter : BibTex | endNote
300 citations
Abstract:

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 thermonuclear fusion reactions to obtain comparatively accurate results. Predicted light-element yields are compared to observationally inferred limits on primordial light-element abundances to infer constraints on the abundances and properties of relic decaying particles with decay times in the interval 0.01 sec < tau < 10^(12) sec. Decaying particles are typically constrained at early times by 4He or 2H, at intermediate times by 6Li, and at large times by the 3He/2H ratio. Constraints are shown for a large number of hadronic branching ratios and decaying particle masses and may be applied to constrain the evolution of the early Universe.

Comments: 24 pages (revtex), 11 figures, title changed, matches published version