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Nuclear Reaction Uncertainties, Massive Gravitino Decays and the Cosmological Lithium Problem
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Submitted 23 Jul 2010
abstract compiled · 2026-09-23 · no language-model review
The authors' main claim We find a region of the gravitino mass and abundance in which the abundances of deuterium, He4 and Li7 may be fit with chi^2 = 5.5, compared with chi^2 = 31.7 if the effects of gravitino decays are unimportant.
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The abstract, sentence by sentence
We consider the effects of uncertainties in nuclear reaction rates on the cosmological constraints on the decays of unstable particles during or after Big-Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). We identify the nuclear reactions due to non-thermal hadrons that are the most important in perturbing standard BBN, then quantify the uncertainties in these reactions and in the resulting light-element abundances. These results also indicate the key nuclear processes for which improved cross section data would allow different light-element abundances to be determined more accurately, thereby making possible more precise probes of BBN and evaluations of the cosmological constraints on unstable particles. Applying this analysis to models with unstable gravitinos decaying into neutralinos, we calculate the likelihood function for the light-element abundances measured currently, taking into account the current experimental errors in the determinations of the relevant nuclear reaction rates. We find a region of the gravitino mass and abundance in which the abundances of deuterium, He4 and Li7 may be fit with chi^2 = 5.5, compared with chi^2 = 31.7 if the effects of gravitino decays are unimportant. The best-fit solution is improved to chi^2 ~ 2.0 when the lithium abundance is taken from globular cluster data. Some such re-evaluation of the observed light-element abundances and/or nuclear reaction rates would be needed if this region of gravitino parameters is to provide a complete solution to the cosmological Li7 problem.
background contribution method result interpretation main claim
| # | sentence | role | the authors' own work | states the main conclusion | strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s0 | We consider the effects of uncertainties in nuclear reaction rates on the cosmological constraints on the decays of unstable particles during or after Big-Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). | contribution 0.81 | 0.69 | 0.03 | asserted 0.53 |
| s1 | We identify the nuclear reactions due to non-thermal hadrons that are the most important in perturbing standard BBN, then quantify the uncertainties in these reactions and in the resulting light-element abundances. | contribution 0.69 | 0.93 | 0.04 | asserted 0.99 |
| s2 | These results also indicate the key nuclear processes for which improved cross section data would allow different light-element abundances to be determined more accurately, thereby making possible more precise probes of BBN and evaluations of the cosmological constraints on unstable particles. | interpretation 0.68 | 0.68 | 0.09 | hedged possibility 0.93 |
| s3 | Applying this analysis to models with unstable gravitinos decaying into neutralinos, we calculate the likelihood function for the light-element abundances measured currently, taking into account the current experimental errors in the determinations of the relevant nuclear reaction rates. | method 0.78 | 0.94 | 0.05 | asserted 0.99 |
| s4 | We find a region of the gravitino mass and abundance in which the abundances of deuterium, He4 and Li7 may be fit with chi^2 = 5.5, compared with chi^2 = 31.7 if the effects of gravitino decays are unimportant. | result 1.00 | 0.96 | 0.48 | asserted 0.65 |
| s5 | The best-fit solution is improved to chi^2 ~ 2.0 when the lithium abundance is taken from globular cluster data. | result 1.00 | 0.91 | 0.17 | asserted 0.99 |
| s6 | Some such re-evaluation of the observed light-element abundances and/or nuclear reaction rates would be needed if this region of gravitino parameters is to provide a complete solution to the cosmological Li7 problem. | limitation 0.45 | 0.28 | 0.21 | hedged possibility 0.93 |
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The paper
Original abstract
We consider the effects of uncertainties in nuclear reaction rates on the cosmological constraints on the decays of unstable particles during or after Big-Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). We identify the nuclear reactions due to non-thermal hadrons that are the most important in perturbing standard BBN, then quantify the uncertainties in these reactions and in the resulting light-element abundances. These results also indicate the key nuclear processes for which improved cross section data would allow different light-element abundances to be determined more accurately, thereby making possible more precise probes of BBN and evaluations of the cosmological constraints on unstable particles. Applying this analysis to models with unstable gravitinos decaying into neutralinos, we calculate the likelihood function for the light-element abundances measured currently, taking into account the current experimental errors in the determinations of the relevant nuclear reaction rates. We find a region of the gravitino mass and abundance in which the abundances of deuterium, He4 and Li7 may be fit with chi^2 = 5.5, compared with chi^2 = 31.7 if the effects of gravitino decays are unimportant. The best-fit solution is improved to chi^2 ~ 2.0 when the lithium abundance is taken from globular cluster data. Some such re-evaluation of the observed light-element abundances and/or nuclear reaction rates would be needed if this region of gravitino parameters is to provide a complete solution to the cosmological Li7 problem.
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References
How the literature uses it
15 arXiv papers cite this in 28 sentences
Papers citing it · 22 sentences without a confident label
Builds on it 1 paper
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In this paper, we extend the analysis of [ref] to include the $(AX^-)$ bound-state effects expected in the case of a negatively-charged metastable particle $X^-$.
Metastable Charged Sparticles and the Cosmological Li7 Problem · Introduction · 0.99
Compares with it 1 paper
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In all the models studied, we find global $χ^2_min 3$ in the $(m_3/2, ζ_3/2)$ plane and therefore the cosmological 7 problem can be regarded even more effectively solved than in [ref] .
Gravitino Decays and the Cosmological Lithium Problem in Light of the LHC Higgs and Supersymmetry Searches · Summary and Conclusions · 0.91
Cites it as background 3 papers
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In the context of the gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking scenario, a different production mechanism is used [ref] [See also [ref] for various works on gravitino production and DM.].
Gravitino Thermal Production, Dark Matter, and Reheating of the Universe · Introduction · 0.85
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The possibility that a long-lived particle decays during or after BBN, injecting electromagnetic and/or hadronic energy into the Universe altering the BBN-produced abundances has been well-studied [ref] .
Implications of the Non-Observation of ${}^{6}{\rm Li}$ in Halo Stars for the Primordial ${}^{7}{\rm Li}$ Problem · The Primordial 7 Problem · 1.00
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See also [ref] for further ideas.
Cosmological Lithium Solution from Discrete Gauged Baryon Minus Lepton Number · The Lithium Problem · 0.98
What it cites · 32 sentences without a confident label
Uses the method or tool of 2 papers
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Our treatments of the hadronic and electromagnetic components of the showers induced by heavy-particle decays follow those in [ref] .
Nucleosynthesis Constraints on a Massive Gravitino in Neutralino Dark Matter Scenarios · Principal Nuclear Reaction Rates · 1.00
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In this case it may be more appropriate to derive the uncertainty using sample variance (see e.g. [ref] ) which gives a more conservative range D/H = $(2.82 ±0.53) ×10^-5$.
The NACRE Thermonuclear Reaction Compilation and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis · Principal Nuclear Reaction Rates · 0.90
Uses data or values from 9 papers
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D/H: We use the deuterium abundance as determined in several high-redshift quasar absorption systems, which have a weighted mean abundance [ref]
Deuterium Abundance in the Most Metal-Poor Damped Lyman alpha System: Converging on Omega_baryons · Principal Nuclear Reaction Rates · 1.00
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D/H: We use the deuterium abundance as determined in several high-redshift quasar absorption systems, which have a weighted mean abundance [ref]
The cosmological baryon density from the deuterium to hydrogen ratio towards QSO absorption systems: D/H towards Q1243+3047 · Principal Nuclear Reaction Rates · 1.00
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D/H: We use the deuterium abundance as determined in several high-redshift quasar absorption systems, which have a weighted mean abundance [ref]
The Deuterium to Hydrogen Abundance Ratio Towards the QSO SDSS1558-0031 · Principal Nuclear Reaction Rates · 1.00
Compares with 4 papers
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As in Fig. [ref], the region where the deuterium abundance lies within the favoured range is now also pushed to lower $ζ_3/2$ when $m_3/2 2$ TeV as compared to the results in [ref] , and the region of acceptable 7 abundance extends to lower $ζ_3/2$ when $m_3/2$ is between 2 – 3 TeV.
Nucleosynthesis Constraints on a Massive Gravitino in Neutralino Dark Matter Scenarios · Principal Nuclear Reaction Rates · 1.00
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Note that the central values for the BBN abundances used here differ slightly from those in [ref] , primarily due to the small shift in $η$ as reported in [ref] .
A Bitter Pill: The Primordial Lithium Problem Worsens · Principal Nuclear Reaction Rates · 0.86
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Note that the central values for the BBN abundances used here differ slightly from those in [ref] , primarily due to the small shift in $η$ as reported in [ref] .
Seven-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Cosmological Interpretation · Principal Nuclear Reaction Rates · 0.86
Cites as background 10 papers
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As described in [ref] , non-thermal hadrons $h ∈(p,n)$ are injected into the cosmological baryon/photon plasma by the decay of a heavy particle such as the NLSP, and then interact with the cosmic medium through which they travel.
Nucleosynthesis Constraints on a Massive Gravitino in Neutralino Dark Matter Scenarios · Principal Nuclear Reaction Rates · 0.87
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Cosmological constraints on such models are imposed by the observed astrophysical abundances of the light elements [ref] - [ref] , which differ little from those calculated in standard Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) [ref] .
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and Particle Dark Matter · Introduction · 0.90
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Cosmological constraints on such models are imposed by the observed astrophysical abundances of the light elements [ref] - [ref] , which differ little from those calculated in standard Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) [ref] .
The NACRE Thermonuclear Reaction Compilation and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis · Introduction · 0.90
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