New Bounds on Omega Baryons from Observational Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

Abstract

We re-examine the systematic errors in the determination of the primordial helium abundance, $Y_{\rm P}$. We find that the systematics are significantly larger than the statistical errors. The uncertainty in (the determination of) $Y_{\rm P}$, is thus, larger than is currently claimed. Furthermore, most of the systematics lead to underestimate of $Y_{\rm P}$. The new upper bound allows cosmological models with no non-baryonic dark matter in which $\Omega_{baryons} = \Omega_{BBN} = \Omega_{dyn}$.