Primordial Lithium Abundance as a Stringent Constraint on the Baryonic Content of the Universe

Abstract

We have refined the estimate of the primordial level of ${}^7$Li abundance to an accuracy better than 10%, based on high-precision Li abundances for metal-poor halo stars, and a recent model of post-BBN (Big Bang Nucleosynthesis) chemical evolution that provides a quantitative explanation of the detected gentle ascent of the Spite Plateau for stars with metallicities [Fe/H]$>-3$. Our maximum likelihood analysis obtains an estimate for the primordial Li abundance of $A(\mathrm{Li}{)}_p=2.07_{-0.04}^{+0.16}$, after taking into account possible systematic errors in the estimation of Li abundances, with the exception of a still-controversial issue regarding stellar depletion. The inferred value of $\eta$ (the baryon-to-photon number-density ratio in the universe) based on this estimate is more consistent with that derived from the set of reported ``low He'' + ``high D'' from extragalactic sites than that derived from reported ``high He'' + ``low D'' measurements. Since, within current models of stellar depletion processes, it is difficult to account for the observed very small scatter of Li abundance in metal-poor stars, our estimate of $A(\mathrm{Li}{)}_p$ should be taken as an independent constraint on the baryonic mass density parameter in the universe, giving ${\Omega }_b{h}^2=(0.64-1.4)\times 10^{-2}$ with $h=H_0/100$ km s${}^{-1}$Mpc${}^{-1}$.

9 pages, 2 figures (1 color figure), ApJ in press

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• Primordial Lithium and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
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• Extremely Metal-Poor Stars. VII. The Most Metal-Poor Dwarf, CS 22876-032
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