arxiv: 2604.01324 · v2 · submitted 2026-04-01 · ✦ hep-ph · astro-ph.CO

Recognition: 2 theorem links

· Lean Theorem

Bipartite Solution to the Lithium Problem

Sougata Ganguly , Tae Hyun Jung , Tae-Sun Park , Chang Sub Shin

Authors on Pith no claims yet

Pith reviewed 2026-05-13 21:34 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification ✦ hep-ph astro-ph.CO

keywords lithium problembig bang nucleosynthesislate decaysmajoronaxion-like particleprimordial abundancesdeuterium constraints

0 comments

The pith

A majoron decaying to neutrinos followed by an axion-like particle decaying to photons can lower primordial lithium while restoring deuterium to observed levels.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The paper shows that the lithium problem cannot be solved by a single late decay because deuterium constraints are now too tight. Instead, a first decay of a majoron into neutrinos at lifetimes of 10 to 10,000 seconds raises the neutron abundance and cuts the lithium yield. This step overshoots deuterium, which a second, later decay of an axion-like particle into photons then corrects through photodissociation. The two-step sequence leaves lithium reduced and deuterium within bounds. The work demonstrates that any successful fix must produce a specific pattern of correlated abundance shifts across multiple epochs.

Core claim

A concrete two-particle late-decay chain first increases the neutron-to-proton ratio via majoron-to-neutrino decays, thereby suppressing lithium-7 plus beryllium-7, then uses photon-induced photodissociation from a longer-lived axion-like particle to bring the excess deuterium back down while further depleting lithium.

What carries the argument

Sequential late decays: a majoron with lifetime 10–10,000 seconds decaying predominantly to neutrinos, followed by an axion-like particle with lifetime greater than 100,000 seconds decaying to photons, which together modify neutron abundance and trigger selective photodissociation.

If this is right

The lithium-7 plus beryllium-7 yield drops below standard Big Bang nucleosynthesis predictions.
Deuterium is driven above observational limits by the first decay then returned to the allowed range by the second decay.
Lithium is further depleted by the photon-induced processes.
Successful late-decay solutions require at least two distinct decay channels and two separate epochs rather than a single modification.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

Concrete particle-physics models must supply the majoron and axion-like particle with the exact branching ratios and lifetimes assumed.
Helium-4 and other light-element abundances would need explicit verification once the full decay chain is embedded in a complete cosmological simulation.
Future tighter deuterium measurements could narrow the allowed lifetime windows for both particles.

Load-bearing premise

The majoron and axion-like particle decay at the stated lifetimes mainly into neutrinos and photons without producing other unobserved effects on the expansion history or additional nuclear abundances.

What would settle it

A measurement of the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio that remains outside the observed window after the two decays have occurred, or a direct limit on the particles showing lifetimes incompatible with the required sequence.

Figures

Figures reproduced from arXiv: 2604.01324 by Chang Sub Shin, Sougata Ganguly, Tae Hyun Jung, Tae-Sun Park.

**Figure 2.** Figure 2: FIG. 2. Evolution of [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p004_2.png] view at source ↗

**Figure 4.** Figure 4: FIG. 4. Evolution of D [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p006_4.png] view at source ↗

**Figure 5.** Figure 5: FIG. 5. BBN constraint on [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p007_5.png] view at source ↗

**Figure 6.** Figure 6: FIG. 6. Evolution of D [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p007_6.png] view at source ↗

**Figure 7.** Figure 7: FIG. 7. Parameter space in [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p008_7.png] view at source ↗

**Figure 8.** Figure 8: FIG. 8. Working parameter space in [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p008_8.png] view at source ↗

**Figure 10.** Figure 10: FIG. 10. Parameter space in [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p009_10.png] view at source ↗

read the original abstract

The primordial lithium problem remains a persistent motivation for new-physics modifications of Big Bang nucleosynthesis, yet the precision of the observed deuterium abundance now places strong constraints on such attempts. This indicates that the challenge is not simply to reduce $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$, but to realize the correlated shifts among light-element abundances required to do so without spoiling deuterium. We investigate this issue in a concrete two-step decay scenario involving two unstable particles undergoing sequential late decays. In the first stage, a majoron with lifetime $\tau_J \sim 10\,\text{--}\,10^4\,\mathrm{sec}$ decays predominantly into neutrinos, increasing the neutron abundance and thereby reducing the primordial $^{7}\mathrm{Li}+\!{}^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ yield. This mechanism, however, simultaneously drives deuterium above the observationally allowed range. In the second stage, an axion-like particle with a longer lifetime $\tau_\phi \gtrsim 10^5\,\mathrm{sec}$ decays into photons, inducing late-time photodissociation that compensates the excess deuterium without erasing the earlier reduction of lithium, while further amplifying the depletion of $^{7}\mathrm{Li}+\!{}^{7}\mathrm{Be}$. Although the setup is model-dependent, it serves as an explicit proof of concept that the lithium abundance can be lowered consistently with current deuterium constraints. More broadly, our analysis highlights that a viable resolution may require a nontrivial combination of decay channels and decay epochs, and clarifies the pattern of abundance response that successful late-decay scenarios must achieve.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Desk Editor's Note private letter to a colleague

The paper sketches a two-stage decay chain that could lower lithium while fixing the deuterium overshoot, but the abstract gives no numbers to show it actually works.

read the letter

The main takeaway is that a short-lived majoron decaying to neutrinos can raise the neutron fraction enough to cut ^7Li+^7Be, but it pushes deuterium too high; a later ALP decaying to photons then photodissociates the extra deuterium without reversing the lithium drop. That correlated pattern is the concrete new element here, even if late decays have been explored before. The authors lay out the required timing and channels clearly enough to make the logic easy to follow. They also note that any viable fix probably needs this kind of staged compensation rather than a single effect. That part is useful for people working on BBN modifications. The soft spot is the complete lack of numerical results or plots in what is shown. Lifetimes and branching ratios are chosen to hit the targets, so it is not obvious whether the back-reaction on the expansion rate stays small enough for the sequence to hold. The stress-test concern about energy injection altering H(t) before the second decay is reasonable and not obviously answered by the abstract. If the full paper has the actual abundance runs and checks on entropy or neutron freeze-out shifts, that would change the picture. As written, this is an idea paper rather than a finished calculation. It is worth sending to referees who know BBN codes so they can ask for the missing runs and see whether the parameter space survives. People thinking about late-time new physics in cosmology would get something out of reading it, even if they end up disagreeing with the specific choice of particles.

Referee Report

2 major / 1 minor

Summary. The paper claims that a two-stage late-decay scenario can resolve the lithium problem while respecting deuterium constraints: a majoron with lifetime τ_J ∼ 10–10^4 s decays predominantly into neutrinos, increasing the neutron fraction and thereby lowering the ^7Li + ^7Be yield, after which an axion-like particle with τ_φ ≳ 10^5 s decays into photons, photodissociating the resulting excess deuterium and further depleting lithium. The setup is presented as a model-dependent proof of concept that correlated abundance shifts are achievable through specific decay channels and epochs.

Significance. If the numerical implementation validates the mechanism for the quoted lifetime ranges without violating other constraints, the result would be significant for BBN phenomenology: it supplies an explicit example of the nontrivial combination of decay channels and timings required to navigate the tight deuterium bounds, clarifying the pattern of abundance responses that any viable late-decay solution must produce.

major comments (2)

[Abstract] Abstract: the central claim that the scenario lowers lithium consistently with current deuterium constraints rests on the feasibility of the quoted lifetimes and branching ratios, yet the abstract (and the manuscript description) supplies no explicit numerical results, error bars, or exclusion criteria for the abundance shifts; without these, it is impossible to verify that the two-stage compensation actually occurs within observational windows.
[Mechanism description] Description of the two-stage mechanism: the treatment of the decays as additive perturbations on a standard BBN background assumes that energy injection from the majoron (into neutrinos) and ALP (into photons) does not appreciably modify the Hubble rate H(t) or entropy during the 1–10^5 s epoch. This is load-bearing, because any change in ρ_rad alters neutron freeze-out, the ^4He mass fraction, and the timing of the deuterium bottleneck, potentially shifting the baseline “excess D” that the second decay is supposed to correct and breaking the required correlation.

minor comments (1)

[Abstract] The notation τ_J and τ_φ is introduced without an immediate reference to the section containing the parameter scan or the precise ranges explored; adding a parenthetical pointer would improve readability.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

2 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for the careful and constructive review of our manuscript. We address the major comments point by point below, providing clarifications and indicating revisions made to strengthen the presentation of our results.

read point-by-point responses

Referee: [Abstract] Abstract: the central claim that the scenario lowers lithium consistently with current deuterium constraints rests on the feasibility of the quoted lifetimes and branching ratios, yet the abstract (and the manuscript description) supplies no explicit numerical results, error bars, or exclusion criteria for the abundance shifts; without these, it is impossible to verify that the two-stage compensation actually occurs within observational windows.

Authors: We agree that the abstract would be strengthened by including key numerical outcomes. The full manuscript already contains detailed results from our BBN code runs (see Sections 3 and 4 and Figures 2–5), showing, for the benchmark lifetimes τ_J ≈ 10^3 s and τ_φ ≈ 10^6 s with the stated branching ratios, a reduction of the final ^7Li + ^7Be abundance by ∼25% relative to standard BBN while keeping D/H within the 2σ observational window (2.53 ± 0.04) × 10^{-5}. We have revised the abstract to summarize these specific abundance shifts and to reference the parameter ranges that satisfy the constraints. revision: yes
Referee: [Mechanism description] Description of the two-stage mechanism: the treatment of the decays as additive perturbations on a standard BBN background assumes that energy injection from the majoron (into neutrinos) and ALP (into photons) does not appreciably modify the Hubble rate H(t) or entropy during the 1–10^5 s epoch. This is load-bearing, because any change in ρ_rad alters neutron freeze-out, the ^4He mass fraction, and the timing of the deuterium bottleneck, potentially shifting the baseline “excess D” that the second decay is supposed to correct and breaking the required correlation.

Authors: This is a valid concern about the validity of the perturbative treatment. In our parameter space the injected energy density from both decays remains ≪ ρ_rad (Δρ/ρ ≲ 0.01 at the relevant epochs), so the modification to H(t) is negligible and does not shift the deuterium bottleneck timing enough to invalidate the correlation we report. We have added an explicit justification subsection (new Section 2.3) with order-of-magnitude estimates and a brief numerical check confirming that the Hubble-rate perturbation does not alter the qualitative abundance pattern. A fully self-consistent non-perturbative evolution would be a worthwhile follow-up but lies outside the scope of the present proof-of-concept study. revision: partial

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No significant circularity; model-dependent proof-of-concept scenario with chosen parameters

full rationale

The paper presents an explicit two-stage decay scenario as a model-dependent proof of concept rather than a first-principles derivation. Lifetimes and branching ratios are selected to demonstrate correlated abundance shifts, but the text does not claim these values are predicted or derived from the target abundances by construction. No equations, self-citations, or uniqueness theorems are invoked in the provided abstract to reduce the central claim to its inputs. The analysis focuses on the required pattern of abundance responses without renaming known results or smuggling ansatze. This is a standard honest non-finding for a phenomenological scenario paper.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

2 free parameters · 2 axioms · 2 invented entities

The claim rests on two postulated particles with tuned lifetimes and decay channels plus the standard BBN framework; no independent evidence is supplied for the new entities.

free parameters (2)

majoron lifetime = 10-10^4 sec
Tuned to 10-10^4 s to increase neutron abundance and reduce lithium.
ALP lifetime = >=10^5 sec
Tuned to greater than or equal to 10^5 s for late photodissociation of deuterium.

axioms (2)

domain assumption Standard Big Bang nucleosynthesis network remains valid when supplemented by the two late decays
The paper modifies only the decay channels and timing while retaining the usual nuclear reaction rates.
domain assumption The decays do not appreciably alter the Hubble expansion rate outside the intended neutron and photon injections
Implicit assumption required for the abundance shifts to be controlled solely by the decay products.

invented entities (2)

Majoron no independent evidence
purpose: Decays predominantly to neutrinos to boost neutron-to-proton ratio
New unstable particle introduced to produce the first-stage neutron excess.
Axion-like particle no independent evidence
purpose: Decays to photons to induce late photodissociation
New unstable particle introduced to correct the deuterium excess and further deplete lithium.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 5582 in / 1484 out tokens · 56727 ms · 2026-05-13T21:34:56.673090+00:00 · methodology

discussion (0)

Lean theorems connected to this paper

Citations machine-checked in the Pith Canon. Every link opens the source theorem in the public Lean library.

IndisputableMonolith/Foundation/RealityFromDistinction.lean (parameter-free derivation of constants) reality_from_one_distinction unclear

?

unclear
Relation between the paper passage and the cited Recognition theorem.

fitting formulae... (D/H)_fin = (a1 + b1 Y_J^(0)) exp(−c1 Y_φ^(0))... six free parameters m_J, τ_J, Y_J^(0), m_φ, τ_φ, Y_φ^(0)

What do these tags mean?

matches: The paper's claim is directly supported by a theorem in the formal canon.
supports: The theorem supports part of the paper's argument, but the paper may add assumptions or extra steps.
extends: The paper goes beyond the formal theorem; the theorem is a base layer rather than the whole result.
uses: The paper appears to rely on the theorem as machinery.
contradicts: The paper's claim conflicts with a theorem or certificate in the canon.
unclear: Pith found a possible connection, but the passage is too broad, indirect, or ambiguous to say the theorem truly supports the claim.

Reference graph

Works this paper leans on

114 extracted references · 114 canonical work pages · 16 internal anchors

[1]

7Be(γ, 3He)4He : σ7Beγ→3He4He = 0.5 1.43 µ MeV ¯Ecm ¯E−2 γ exp (−2πη) ¯Ecm G1( ¯Ecm),(A1) where the threshold energy in unit of MeV ( ¯Q) = 1.587, ¯Ecm = ¯Eγ − ¯Q, 2πη= 5.191/ p ¯Ecm,µ= 1602.16 MeV 10 and the functional form ofG 1( ¯Ecm) is given by G1( ¯Ecm) = 0.493 mb exp −0.568 ¯Ecm 1 + 0.185¯E2 cm + 0.04 ¯E3 cm + 0.015 ¯E4 cm .(A2)

work page
[2]

7Li(γ,T) 4He : σ7Liγ→4HeT = (0.01813 mb)e −0.5607 ¯Eγ ×(1−18.52 ¯E2 γ + 6.748 ¯E3 γ + 0.1811 ¯E4 γ).(A3) where ¯Q= 2.46703 is the threshold energy of the reaction, in units of MeV

work page
[3]

7Li(γ, n) 6Li : σ7Liγ→n6Li = 0.176 mb ¯Q1.51 ¯E0.49 cm ¯E−2 γ + 1205 mb ¯Q5.5 ¯E5 cm ¯E−10.5 γ + 0.06 mb " 1 + ¯Ecm −7.46 0.188 2#−1 ,(A4) where ¯Q= 7.25, and ¯Ecm = ¯Eγ − ¯Q

work page
[4]

7Li(γ,2n p) 4He : σ7Liγ→2np4He = 122 mb ¯Q4 ¯E3 cm ¯E7γ ,(A5) where ¯Q= 10.95 MeV, and ¯Ecm = ¯Eγ − ¯Q. B. FITTING COEFFICIENTS The fitting coefficients in Eq. (20), and (21) are given in Tab. I

work page
[5]

R. V. Wagoner, W. A. Fowler, and F. Hoyle, On the Synthesis of elements at very high temperatures, Astro- phys. J.148, 3 (1967)

work page 1967
[6]

Spite and M

F. Spite and M. Spite, Abundance of lithium in un- evolved halo stars and old disk stars: Interpretation and consequences, Astron. Astrophys.115, 357 (1982)

work page 1982
[7]

Pitrou, A

C. Pitrou, A. Coc, J.-P. Uzan, and E. Vangioni, Precision big bang nucleosynthesis with improved Helium-4 predictions, Phys. Rept.754, 1 (2018), arXiv:1801.08023 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2018
[8]

Pitrou, A

C. Pitrou, A. Coc, J.-P. Uzan, and E. Vangioni, A new tension in the cosmological model from primordial deu- terium?, Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc.502, 2474 (2021), arXiv:2011.11320 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2021
[9]

T.-H. Yeh, J. Shelton, K. A. Olive, and B. D. Fields, Probing physics beyond the standard model: limits from BBN and the CMB independently and combined, JCAP 10, 046, arXiv:2207.13133 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv
[10]

Pisanti, A

O. Pisanti, A. Cirillo, S. Esposito, F. Iocco, G. Mangano, G. Miele, and P. D. Serpico, PArthENoPE: Public Algorithm Evaluating the Nucleosynthesis of Pri- mordial Elements, Comput. Phys. Commun.178, 956 (2008), arXiv:0705.0290 [astro-ph]

work page arXiv 2008
[11]

Gariazzo, P

S. Gariazzo, P. F. de Salas, O. Pisanti, and R. Consiglio, PArthENoPE revolutions, Comput. Phys. Commun. 271, 108205 (2022), arXiv:2103.05027 [astro-ph.IM]

work page arXiv 2022
[12]

Burns, T

A.-K. Burns, T. M. P. Tait, and M. Valli, PRyMordial: the first three minutes, within and beyond the standard model, Eur. Phys. J. C84, 86 (2024), arXiv:2307.07061 [hep-ph]

work page arXiv 2024
[13]

Pintoet al., The metal-poor end of the Spite plateau- II

A. Pintoet al., The metal-poor end of the Spite plateau- II. Chemical and dynamical investigation, Astron. As- trophys.654, A170 (2021)

work page 2021
[14]

Navaset al.(Particle Data Group), Review of particle physics, Phys

S. Navaset al.(Particle Data Group), Review of particle physics, Phys. Rev. D110, 030001 (2024), and 2025 update

work page 2024
[15]

Michaud, G

G. Michaud, G. Fontaine, and G. Beaudet, The lithium abundance - Constraints on stellar evolution, Astrophys. J.282, 206 (1984)

work page 1984
[16]

Vauclair, Lithium Nuclear Destruction in Stellar Outer Layers: A Consistent Theoretical View of the Characteristic Features Observed in Young and Old Stars, Astrophys

S. Vauclair, Lithium Nuclear Destruction in Stellar Outer Layers: A Consistent Theoretical View of the Characteristic Features Observed in Young and Old Stars, Astrophys. J.335, 971 (1988)

work page 1988
[17]

C. R. Proffitt and G. Michaud, Diffusion and Mixing of Lithium and Helium in Population II Dwarfs, Astro- phys. J.371, 584 (1991)

work page 1991
[18]

$^7$Li Abundances in Halo Stars: Testing Stellar Evolution Models and the Primordial $^7$Li Abundance

B. Chaboyer and P. Demarque, 7Li Abundances in Halo Stars: Testing Stellar Evolution Models and the Pri- mordial 7Li Abundance, Astrophys. J.433, 510 (1994), arXiv:astro-ph/9403043 [astro-ph]

work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv 1994
[19]

Vauclair and C

S. Vauclair and C. Charbonnel, Influence of a stellar wind on the lithium depletion in halo stars: a new step 11 τϕ = 105 sec τJ [sec] a1 b1 c1 a2 b2 c2 d2 101 2.52×10 −5 0.38 6.64×10 6 4.64×10 −10 4.78×10 4 5.43×10 3 1.27×10 6 102 2.54×10 −5 1.67 6.64×10 6 4.63×10 −10 2.04×10 5 1.15×10 4 1.25×10 6 103 2.57×10 −5 4.60 6.64×10 6 4.59×10 −10 4.11×10 5 1.44×...

work page 1995
[20]

Vauclair and C

S. Vauclair and C. Charbonnel, Element Segregation in Low-Metallicity Stars and the Primordial Lithium Abundance, Astrophys. J.502, 372 (1998), arXiv:astro- ph/9802315 [astro-ph]

work page arXiv 1998
[21]

Atomic diffusion in metal-poor stars: II. Predictions for the Spite plateau

M. Salaris and A. Weiss, Atomic diffusion in metal- poor stars. II. Predictions for the Spite plateau (2001), arXiv:astro-ph/0104406 [astro-ph]

work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv 2001
[23]

Richard, G

O. Richard, G. Michaud, J. Richer, S. Turcotte, S. Turck-Chieze, and D. A. VandenBerg, Models of metal poor stars with gravitational settling and ra- diative accelerations: I. evolution and abundance anomalies, Astrophys. J.580, 1100 (2002), arXiv:astro- ph/0112113

work page arXiv 2002
[24]

Richard, G

O. Richard, G. Michaud, and J. Richer, Implications of WMAP observations on Li abundance and stellar evolu- tion models, Astrophys. J.619, 538 (2005), arXiv:astro- ph/0409672

work page arXiv 2005
[25]

L. Piau, T. C. Beers, D. S. Balsara, T. Sivarani, J. W. Truran, and J. W. Ferguson, From First Stars to the Spite Plateau: a Possible Reconciliation of Halo Stars Observations with Predictions from Big Bang Nucle- osynthesis, Astrophys. J.653, 300 (2006), arXiv:astro- ph/0603553

work page arXiv 2006
[26]

A. J. Korn, F. Grundahl, O. Richard, P. S. Barklem, L. Mashonkina, R. Collet, N. Piskunov, and B. Gustafs- son, A probable stellar solution to the cosmolog- ical lithium discrepancy, Nature442, 657 (2006), arXiv:astro-ph/0608201

work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv 2006
[27]

Piau, Lithium Isotopes in Population II Dwarfs, As- trophys

L. Piau, Lithium Isotopes in Population II Dwarfs, As- trophys. J.689, 1279 (2008)

work page 2008
[28]

M. Vick, G. Michaud, J. Richer, and O. Richard, Pop- ulation II stars and the Spite plateau; Stellar evolution models with mass loss, Astron. Astrophys.552, A131 (2013), arXiv:1304.0815 [astro-ph.SR]. 12

work page arXiv 2013
[29]

X. Fu, A. Bressan, P. Molaro, and P. Marigo, Lithium evolution in metal-poor stars: from pre-main sequence to the Spite plateau, Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc.452, 3256 (2015), arXiv:1506.05993 [astro-ph.SR]

work page Pith review arXiv 2015
[30]

Grisoni, F

V. Grisoni, F. Matteucci, D. Romano, and X. Fu, Evo- lution of lithium in the Milky Way halo, discs, and bulge, Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc.489, 3539 (2019), arXiv:1906.09130 [astro-ph.GA]

work page arXiv 2019
[31]

Deal, M.-J

M. Deal, M.-J. Goupil, J. Marques, D. Reese, and Y. Lebreton, Chemical mixing in low mass stars. I. Rotation against atomic diffusion including radia- tive acceleration, Astron. Astrophys.633, A23 (2020), arXiv:1910.14335 [astro-ph.SR]

work page arXiv 2020
[32]

Tognelli, P

E. Tognelli, P. G. Prada Moroni, S. Degl’Innocenti, M. Salaris, and S. Cassisi, Protostellar accretion in low mass metal poor stars and the cosmological lithium problem, Astron. Astrophys.638, A81 (2020), arXiv:2004.14857 [astro-ph.SR]

work page arXiv 2020
[33]

Dumont, C

T. Dumont, C. Charbonnel, A. Palacios, and S. Borisov, Lithium depletion and angular momentum transport in F-type and G-type stars in Galactic open clusters, Astron. Astrophys.654, A46 (2021), arXiv:2107.12060 [astro-ph.SR]

work page arXiv 2021
[34]

Dumont, A

T. Dumont, A. Palacios, C. Charbonnel, O. Richard, L. Amard, K. Augustson, and S. Mathis, Lithium depletion and angular momentum transport in solar- type stars, Astron. Astrophys.646, A48 (2021), arXiv:2012.03647 [astro-ph.SR]

work page arXiv 2021
[35]

Borisov, C

S. Borisov, C. Charbonnel, N. Prantzos, T. Dumont, and A. Palacios, A coherent view of Li depletion and angular momentum transport to explain the Li plateau – from Population II to Population I stars, Astron. Astrophys.690, A245 (2025), arXiv:2403.15534 [astro- ph.SR]

work page arXiv 2025
[36]

Korn, The ups and downs of inferred cosmo- logical lithium, EPJ Web Conf.297, 01007 (2024), arXiv:2406.09974 [astro-ph.SR]

A. Korn, The ups and downs of inferred cosmo- logical lithium, EPJ Web Conf.297, 01007 (2024), arXiv:2406.09974 [astro-ph.SR]

work page arXiv 2024
[37]

E. X. Wang, T. Nordlander, M. Asplund, K. Lind, Y. Zhou, and H. Reggiani, Non-detection of 6Li in Spite plateau stars with ESPRESSO, Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc.509, 1521 (2022), arXiv:2110.03822 [astro-ph.SR]

work page arXiv 2022
[38]

B. D. Fields and K. A. Olive, Implications of the non-observation of 6Li in halo stars for the primordial 7Li problem, JCAP10, 078, arXiv:2204.03167 [astro- ph.GA]

work page arXiv
[39]

M. H. Reno and D. Seckel, Primordial Nucleosynthesis: The Effects of Injecting Hadrons, Phys. Rev. D37, 3441 (1988)

work page 1988
[40]

Did Something Decay, Evaporate, or Annihilate during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis?

K. Jedamzik, Did something decay, evaporate, or anni- hilate during Big Bang nucleosynthesis?, Phys. Rev. D 70, 063524 (2004), arXiv:astro-ph/0402344

work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv 2004
[41]

Pospelov and J

M. Pospelov and J. Pradler, Metastable GeV-scale par- ticles as a solution to the cosmological lithium problem, Phys. Rev. D82, 103514 (2010), arXiv:1006.4172 [hep- ph]

work page arXiv 2010
[42]

Albornoz Vasquez, A

D. Albornoz Vasquez, A. Belikov, A. Coc, J. Silk, and E. Vangioni, Neutron injection during primordial nucleosynthesis alleviates the primordial 7Li problem, Phys. Rev. D86, 063501 (2012), arXiv:1208.0443 [astro- ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2012
[43]

A. Coc, M. Pospelov, J.-P. Uzan, and E. Vangioni, Modified big bang nucleosynthesis with nonstandard neutron sources, Phys. Rev. D90, 085018 (2014), arXiv:1405.1718 [hep-ph]

work page Pith review arXiv 2014
[44]

Kusakabe, M.-K

M. Kusakabe, M.-K. Cheoun, and K. S. Kim, Gen- eral limit on the relation between abundances of D and 7Li in big bang nucleosynthesis with nucleon injections, Phys. Rev. D90, 045009 (2014), arXiv:1404.3090 [astro- ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2014
[45]

Revisiting Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis Constraints on Long-Lived Decaying Particles

M. Kawasaki, K. Kohri, T. Moroi, and Y. Takaesu, Re- visiting Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis Constraints on Long- Lived Decaying Particles, Phys. Rev. D97, 023502 (2018), arXiv:1709.01211 [hep-ph]

work page Pith review arXiv 2018
[46]

Kusakabe, A

M. Kusakabe, A. B. Balantekin, T. Kajino, and Y. Pehlivan, Big-bang nucleosynthesis limit on the neu- tral fermion decays into neutrinos, Phys. Rev. D87, 085045 (2013), arXiv:1303.2291 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2013
[47]

Breaking Be: a sterile neutrino solution to the cosmological lithium problem

L. Salvati, L. Pagano, M. Lattanzi, M. Gerbino, and A. Melchiorri, Breaking Be: a sterile neutrino solution to the cosmological lithium problem, JCAP08, 022, arXiv:1606.06968 [astro-ph.CO]

work page Pith review arXiv
[48]

Chang, S

S. Chang, S. Ganguly, T. H. Jung, T.-S. Park, and C. S. Shin, Constraining MeV to 10 GeV Majorons by big bang nucleosynthesis, Phys. Rev. D110, 015019 (2024), arXiv:2401.00687 [hep-ph]

work page arXiv 2024
[49]

A light particle solution to the cosmic lithium problem

A. Goudelis, M. Pospelov, and J. Pradler, Light Particle Solution to the Cosmic Lithium Problem, Phys. Rev. Lett.116, 211303 (2016), arXiv:1510.08858 [hep-ph]

work page Pith review arXiv 2016
[50]

Erken, P

O. Erken, P. Sikivie, H. Tam, and Q. Yang, Axion Dark Matter and Cosmological Parameters, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 061304 (2012), arXiv:1104.4507 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2012
[51]

Kusakabe, A

M. Kusakabe, A. B. Balantekin, T. Kajino, and Y. Pehlivan, Solution to Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis in Hybrid Axion Dark Matter Model, Phys. Lett. B718, 704 (2013), arXiv:1202.5603 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2013
[52]

Kawasaki, K

M. Kawasaki, K. Kohri, T. Moroi, K. Murai, and H. Mu- rayama, Big-bang nucleosynthesis with sub-GeV mas- sive decaying particles, JCAP12, 048, arXiv:2006.14803 [hep-ph]

work page arXiv 2006
[53]

Y. Luo, T. Kajino, M. Kusakabe, and G. J. Mathews, Big Bang Nucleosynthesis with an Inhomogeneous Pri- mordial Magnetic Field Strength, Astrophys. J.872, 172 (2019), arXiv:1810.08803 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2019
[54]

Yamanaka, Light nuclei under magnetic field and the lithium problem, (2025), arXiv:2509.03684 [nucl-th]

N. Yamanaka, Light nuclei under magnetic field and the lithium problem, (2025), arXiv:2509.03684 [nucl-th]

work page arXiv 2025
[55]

Koren, Cosmological Lithium Solution from Discrete Gauged B-L, Phys

S. Koren, Cosmological Lithium Solution from Discrete Gauged B-L, Phys. Rev. Lett.131, 091003 (2023), arXiv:2204.01750 [hep-ph]

work page arXiv 2023
[56]

Cooke, M

R. Cooke, M. Pettini, R. A. Jorgenson, M. T. Murphy, and C. C. Steidel, Precision measures of the primordial abundance of deuterium, Astrophys. J.781, 31 (2014), arXiv:1308.3240 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2014
[57]

R. J. Cooke, M. Pettini, K. M. Nollett, and R. Jorgen- son, The primordial deuterium abundance of the most metal-poor damped Lyαsystem, Astrophys. J.830, 148 (2016), arXiv:1607.03900 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2016
[58]

Riemer-Sørensen, J

S. Riemer-Sørensen, J. K. Webb, N. Crighton, V. Du- mont, K. Ali, S. Kotuˇ s, M. Bainbridge, M. T. Murphy, and R. Carswell, A robust deuterium abundance; Re- measurement of the z=3.256 absorption system towards the quasar PKS1937-1009, Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. 447, 2925 (2015), arXiv:1412.4043 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2015
[59]

S. A. Balashev, E. O. Zavarygin, A. V. Ivanchik, K. N. Telikova, and D. A. Varshalovich, The primordial deu- terium abundance: subDLA system atz abs = 2.437 to- wards the QSO J 1444+2919, Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc.458, 2188 (2016), arXiv:1511.01797 [astro-ph.GA]

work page arXiv 2016
[60]

Riemer-Sørensen, S

S. Riemer-Sørensen, S. Kotuˇ s, J. K. Webb, K. Ali, 13 V. Dumont, M. T. Murphy, and R. F. Carswell, A precise deuterium abundance: remeasurement of the z = 3.572 absorption system towards the quasar PKS1937–101, Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc.468, 3239 (2017), arXiv:1703.06656 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2017
[61]

E. O. Zavarygin, J. K. Webb, V. Dumont, and S. Riemer-Sørensen, The primordial deuterium abun- dance at zabs = 2.504 from a high signal-to-noise spec- trum of Q1009+2956, Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc.477, 5536 (2018), arXiv:1706.09512 [astro-ph.GA]

work page arXiv 2018
[62]

R. J. Cooke, M. Pettini, and C. C. Steidel, One Per- cent Determination of the Primordial Deuterium Abun- dance, Astrophys. J.855, 102 (2018), arXiv:1710.11129 [astro-ph.CO]

work page Pith review arXiv 2018
[63]

T.-H. Yeh, K. A. Olive, and B. D. Fields, The impact of newd(p, γ)3 rates on Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, JCAP 03, 046, arXiv:2011.13874 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2011
[64]

Electromagnetic Cascade in the Early Universe and its Application to the Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis

M. Kawasaki and T. Moroi, Electromagnetic cascade in the early universe and its application to the big bang nucleosynthesis, Astrophys. J.452, 506 (1995), arXiv:astro-ph/9412055

work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv 1995
[65]

Hufnagel, K

M. Hufnagel, K. Schmidt-Hoberg, and S. Wild, BBN constraints on MeV-scale dark sectors. Part II. Elec- tromagnetic decays, JCAP11, 032, arXiv:1808.09324 [hep-ph]

work page arXiv
[66]

R. H. Cyburt, J. R. Ellis, B. D. Fields, and K. A. Olive, Updated nucleosynthesis constraints on unstable relic particles, Phys. Rev. D67, 103521 (2003), arXiv:astro- ph/0211258

work page arXiv 2003
[67]

R. J. Scherrer, Deuterium and helium-3 production from massive neutrino decay, Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. 210, 359 (1984)

work page 1984
[68]

Constraints from Nucleosynthesis and SN1987A on Majoron Emitting Double Beta Decay

S. Chang and K. Choi, Constraints from nucleosynthesis and SN1987A on majoron emitting double beta decay, Phys. Rev. D49, 12 (1994), arXiv:hep-ph/9303243

work page internal anchor Pith review arXiv 1994
[69]

Cosmological Constraints on Neutrino Injection

T. Kanzaki, M. Kawasaki, K. Kohri, and T. Moroi, Cos- mological Constraints on Neutrino Injection, Phys. Rev. D76, 105017 (2007), arXiv:0705.1200 [hep-ph]

work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv 2007
[70]

Bianco, P

S. Bianco, P. F. Depta, J. Frerick, T. Hambye, M. Huf- nagel, and K. Schmidt-Hoberg, Photo- and hadrodis- integration constraints on massive relics decaying into neutrinos, JCAP11, 072, arXiv:2505.01492 [hep-ph]

work page arXiv
[71]

R. J. Scherrer and M. S. Turner, Primordial Nucleosyn- thesis with Decaying Particles: 1. Entropy Producing Decays, 2. Inert Decays, Astrophys. J.331, 19 (1988)

work page 1988
[72]

Sarkar and A

S. Sarkar and A. M. Cooper-Sarkar, Cosmological and experimental constraints on the tau neutrino, Phys. Lett. B148, 347 (1984)

work page 1984
[73]

J. R. Ellis, D. V. Nanopoulos, and S. Sarkar, The Cos- mology of Decaying Gravitinos, Nucl. Phys. B259, 175 (1985)

work page 1985
[74]

R. J. Protheroe, T. Stanev, and V. S. Berezinsky, Electromagnetic cascades and cascade nucleosynthesis in the early universe, Phys. Rev. D51, 4134 (1995), arXiv:astro-ph/9409004

work page arXiv 1995
[75]

Radiative Decay of a Long-Lived Particle and Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis

E. Holtmann, M. Kawasaki, K. Kohri, and T. Mo- roi, Radiative decay of a longlived particle and big bang nucleosynthesis, Phys. Rev. D60, 023506 (1999), arXiv:hep-ph/9805405

work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv 1999
[76]

Kawasaki, K

M. Kawasaki, K. Kohri, and T. Moroi, Radiative de- cay of a massive particle and the nonthermal process in primordial nucleosynthesis, Phys. Rev. D63, 103502 (2001), arXiv:hep-ph/0012279

work page arXiv 2001
[77]

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Constraints on Hadronically and Electromagnetically Decaying Relic Neutral Particles

K. Jedamzik, Big bang nucleosynthesis constraints on hadronically and electromagnetically decaying relic neutral particles, Phys. Rev. D74, 103509 (2006), arXiv:hep-ph/0604251

work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv 2006
[78]

A loophole to the universal photon spectrum in electromagnetic cascades: application to the "cosmological lithium problem"

V. Poulin and P. D. Serpico, Loophole to the Universal Photon Spectrum in Electromagnetic Cascades and Ap- plication to the Cosmological Lithium Problem, Phys. Rev. Lett.114, 091101 (2015), arXiv:1502.01250 [astro- ph.CO]

work page Pith review arXiv 2015
[79]

Poulin and P

V. Poulin and P. D. Serpico, Nonuniversal BBN bounds on electromagnetically decaying particles, Phys. Rev. D 91, 103007 (2015), arXiv:1503.04852 [astro-ph.CO]

work page arXiv 2015
[80]

Forestell, D

L. Forestell, D. E. Morrissey, and G. White, Limits from BBN on Light Electromagnetic Decays, JHEP01, 074, arXiv:1809.01179 [hep-ph]

work page arXiv
[81]

Primordial Black Holes and Primordial Nucleosynthesis I: Effects of Hadron Injection from Low Mass Holes

K. Kohri and J. Yokoyama, Primordial black holes and primordial nucleosynthesis. 1. Effects of hadron injec- tion from low mass holes, Phys. Rev. D61, 023501 (2000), arXiv:astro-ph/9908160

work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv 2000

Showing first 80 references.