386 research outputs found
Non-BBN Constraints On The Key Cosmological Parameters
Since the baryon-to-photon ratio "eta" is in some doubt at present, we ignore
the constraints on eta from big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) and fit the three
key cosmological parameters (h, Omega_M, eta) to four other observational
constraints: Hubble parameter, age of the universe, cluster gas (baryon)
fraction, and effective shape parameter "Gamma". We consider open and flat CDM
models and flat "Lambda"-CDM models, testing goodness of fit and drawing
confidence regions by the Delta-chi^2 method. CDM models with Omega_M = 1 (SCDM
models) are accepted only because we allow a large error on h, permitting h <
0.5. Open CDM models are accepted only for Omega_M \gsim 0.4. Lambda-CDM models
give similar results. In all of these models, large eta (\gsim 6) is favored
strongly over small eta, supporting reports of low deuterium abundances on some
QSO lines of sight, and suggesting that observational determinations of
primordial 4He may be contaminated by systematic errors. Only if we drop the
crucial Gamma constraint are much lower values of Omega_M and eta permitted.Comment: 12 pages, Kluwer Latex, 2 Postscript figures, to appear in the
proceedings of the ISSI Workshop, "The Primordial Nuclei and Their Galactic
Evolution" (Bern, May 6-10, 1997), ed. N. Prantzos, M. Tosi, and R. von
Steiger (Kluwer, Dordrecht
BBN For Pedestrians
The simplest, `standard' model of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (SBBN) assumes
three light neutrinos (N_nu = 3) and no significant electron neutrino
asymmetry, leaving only one adjustable parameter: the baryon to photon ratio
eta. The primordial abundance of any one nuclide can, therefore, be used to
measure the baryon abundance and the value derived from the observationally
inferred primordial abundance of deuterium closely matches that from current,
non-BBN data, primarily from the WMAP survey. However, using this same estimate
there is a tension between the SBBN-predicted 4He and 7Li abundances and their
current, observationally inferred primordial abundances, suggesting that N_nu
may differ from the standard model value of three and/or that there may be a
non-zero neutral lepton asymmetry (or, that systematic errors in the abundance
determinations have been underestimated or overlooked). The differences are not
large and the allowed ranges of the BBN parameters permitted by the data are
quite small. Within these ranges, the BBN-predicted abundances of D, 3He, 4He,
and 7Li are very smooth, monotonic functions of eta, N_nu, and the lepton
asymmetry. It is possible to describe the dependencies of these abundances (or
powers of them) upon the three parameters by simple, linear fits which, over
their ranges of applicability, are accurate to a few percent or better. The
fits presented here have not been maximized for their accuracy but, for their
simplicity. To identify the ranges of applicability and relative accuracies,
they are compared to detailed BBN calculations; their utility is illustrated
with several examples. Given the tension within BBN, these fits should prove
useful in facilitating studies of the viability of proposals for non-standard
physics and cosmology, prior to undertaking detailed BBN calculations.Comment: Submitted to a Focus Issue on Neutrino Physics in New Journal of
Physics (www.njp.org
Statistical Matrix for Electroweak Baryogenesis
In electroweak baryogenesis, a domain wall between the spontaneously broken
and unbroken phases acts as a separator of baryon (or lepton) number,
generating a baryon asymmetry in the universe. If the wall is thin relative to
plasma mean free paths, one computes baryon current into the broken phase by
determining the quantum mechanical transmission of plasma components in the
potential of the spatially changing Higgs VEV. We show that baryon current can
also be obtained using a statistical density operator. This new formulation of
the problem provides a consistent framework for studying the influence of
quasiparticle lifetimes on baryon current. We show that when the plasma has no
self-interactions, familiar results are reproduced. When plasma
self-interactions are included, the baryon current into the broken phase is
related to an imaginary time temperature Green's function.Comment: 20 pages, no figures, Late
Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization
Cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy is our richest source of
cosmological information; the standard cosmological model was largely
established thanks to study of the temperature anisotropies. By the end of the
decade, the Planck satellite will close this important chapter and move us
deeper into the new frontier of polarization measurements. Numerous
ground--based and balloon--borne experiments are already forging into this new
territory. Besides providing new and independent information on the primordial
density perturbations and cosmological parameters, polarization measurements
offer the potential to detect primordial gravity waves, constrain dark energy
and measure the neutrino mass scale. A vigorous experimental program is
underway worldwide and heading towards a new satellite mission dedicated to CMB
polarization.Comment: Review given at TAUP 2005; References added; Additional reference
Neutrino statistics and big bang nucleosynthesis
Neutrinos may possibly violate the spin-statistics theorem, and hence obey
Bose statistics or mixed statistics despite having spin half. We find the
generalized equilibrium distribution function of neutrinos which depends on a
single fermi-bose parameter, \kappa, and interpolates continuously between the
bosonic and fermionic distributions when \kappa changes from -1 to +1. We
consider modification of the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) in the presence of
bosonic or partly bosonic neutrinos. For pure bosonic neutrinos the abundances
change (in comparison with the usual Fermi-Dirac case) by -3.2% for 4He (which
is equivalent to a decrease of the effective number of neutrinos by \Delta
N_\nu = - 0.6), +2.6% for 2H and -7% for 7Li. These changes provide a better
fit to the BBN data. Future BBN studies will be able to constrain the
fermi-bose parameter to \kappa > 0.5, if no deviation from fermionic nature of
neutrinos is found. We also evaluate the sensitivity of future CMB and LSS
observations to the fermi-bose parameter.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, matches version in JCAP, discussion and
references extended slightl
The Evolution of Helium and Hydrogen Ionization Corrections as HII Regions Age
Helium and hydrogen recombination lines observed in low-metallicity,
extragalactic, HII regions provide the data used to infer the primordial helium
mass fraction, Y_P. In deriving abundances from observations, the correction
for unseen neutral helium or hydrogen is usually assumed to be absent; i.e.,
the ionization correction factor is taken to be unity (icf = 1). In a previous
paper (VGS), we revisited the question of the icf, confirming a "reverse"
ionization correction: icf < 1. In VGS the icf was calculated using more nearly
realistic models of inhomogeneous HII regions, suggesting that the published
values of Y_P needed to be reduced by an amount of order 0.003. As star
clusters age, their stellar spectra evolve and so, too, will their icfs. Here
the evolution of the icf is studied, along with that of two, alternate,
measures of the "hardness" of the radiation spectrum. The differences between
the icf for radiation-bounded and matter-bounded models are also explored,
along with the effect on the icf of the He/H ratio (since He and H compete for
some of the same ionizing photons). Particular attention is paid to the amount
of doubly-ionized helium predicted, leading us to suggest that observations of,
or bounds to, He++ may help to discriminate among models of HII regions ionized
by starbursts of different ages and spectra. We apply our analysis to the
Izotov & Thuan (IT) data set utilizing the radiation softness parameter, the
[OIII]/[OI] ratio, and the presence or absence of He++ to find 0.95 < icf <
0.99. This suggests that the IT estimate of the primordial helium abundance
should be reduced by Delta-Y = 0.006 +- 0.002, from 0.244 +- 0.002 to 0.238 +-
0.003.Comment: 27 double-spaced pages, 11 figures, 5 equations; revised to match the
version accepted for publication in the Ap
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis in Crisis?
A new evaluation of the constraint on the number of light neutrino species
(N_nu) from big bang nucleosynthesis suggests a discrepancy between the
predicted light element abundances and those inferred from observations, unless
the inferred primordial 4He abundance has been underestimated by 0.014 +/-
0.004 (1 sigma) or less than 10% (95%C.L.) of 3He survives stellar processing.
With the quoted systematic errors in the observed abundances and a conservative
chemical evolution parameterization, the best fit to the combined data is N_nu
= 2.1 +/- 0.3 (1 sigma) and the upper limit is N_nu < 2.6 (95% C.L.). The data
are inconsistent with the Standard Model (N_nu = 3) at the 98.6% C.L.Comment: To be published in Phys. Rev. Lett. Revised version to reflect
referee comments and criticisms by Copi, Schramm, and Turner of robustness of
D/He-3 analysis. Small quantitative changes but qualitative conclusions
unchanged. Question mark added to title. Entire ps file available at
ftp://upenn5.hep.upenn.edu/pub/hata/papers/bbn.ps.Z See also astro-ph/941208
The Primordial Abundance of He4: An Update
We include new data in an updated analysis of helium in low metallicity
extragalactic HII regions with the goal of deriving the primordial abundance of
He4 (Y_P). We show that the new observations of Izotov et al (ITL) are
consistent with previous data. However they should not be taken in isolation to
determine (Y_P) due to the lack of sufficiently low metallicity points. We use
the extant data in a semi-empirical approach to bounding the size of possible
systematic uncertainties in the determination of (Y_P). Our best estimate for
the primordial abundance of He4 assuming a linear relation between He4 and O/H
is Y_P = 0.230 \pm 0.003 (stat) based on the subset of HII regions with the
lowest metallicity; for our full data set we find Y_P = 0.234 \pm 0.002 (stat).
Both values are entirely consistent with our previous results. We discuss the
implications of these values for standard big bang nucleosynthesis (SBBN),
particularly in the context of recent measurements of deuterium in high
redshift, low metallicity QSO absorption-line systems.Comment: 26 pages, latex, 6 ps figure
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