Solving the Crisis in Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis by the Radiative Decay of an Exotic Particle

Abstract

We discuss a new mechanism which can solve the crisis in standard big-bang nucleosynthesis. A long-lived particle $X$ ($10^{4}sec\lesssim {\tau }_X\lesssim 10^{6}sec$) which decays into photon(s) will induce cascade photons, and destroy significant amounts of D and ${}^3$He without destroying ${}^4$He or too much ${}^7$Li. We numerically investigate this process and derive a constraint on the properties of $X$ such that the theoretical values of the primordial light-element abundances agree with observation. We also present some candidates for the unstable particle $X$.

References in corpus (1)

• Assessing Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis

Cited by in corpus (12)

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• Big Bang Nucleosynthesis with Bound States of Long-lived Charged Particles
• Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and Lepton Number Asymmetry in the Universe
• Effect of Long-lived Strongly Interacting Relic Particles on Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
• Big Bang Nucleosynthesis with Matter--Antimatter Domains
• General limit on the relation between abundances of D and ${}^7$Li in big bang nucleosynthesis with nucleon injections
• Destruction of 7Be in big bang nucleosynthesis via long-lived sub-strongly interacting massive particles as a solution to the Li problem
• Massive Decaying Tau Neutrino and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
• Cosmological Deuterium Production in Non-Standard Scenarios