What is the BBN prediction for the baryon density and how reliable is it?

Sep, 2000
7 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.D 63 (2001) 063512
e-Print:
Report number:
  • FERMILAB-PUB-00-239-A

Citations per year

2000200620122018202405101520
Abstract: (arXiv)
Together, the standard theory of big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) and the primeval deuterium abundance very precisely peg the baryon density, Omega_B h^2 = 0.0190\pm 0.0018 (95% cl). The uncertainty is due to that in the deuterium abundance and input nuclear data, in the ratio of about 2 to 1. We discuss critically the reliability of the BBN baryon density, and conclude that within the standard cosmology and standard theory of BBN a baryon density Omega_B h^2 = 0.030 (the central value implied by recent CMB anisotropy measurements) simply cannot be accommodated.
  • cosmological model
  • baryon: density
  • light nucleus: production
  • deuterium: density
  • cosmic background radiation: anisotropy
  • numerical calculations: interpretation of experiments