Primordial Lithium and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

Abstract

In the standard hot big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) model the primordial abundances of H, H2, He3, He4, and Li7, fix the baryon density of the universe, $Ω_b$, via the baryon-to-photon ratio, $η$, for a given Hubble parameter. Recent observations of Li show that its intrinsic dispersion in metal-poor stars is essentially zero, and the random error in the mean Li abundance is negligible. However, a decreasing trend in the Li abundance towards lower metallicity, plus Li6 detections, indicate that its primordial abundance can be inferred only after allowing for nucleosynthesis processes in the Galaxy (Galactic chemical evolution (GCE)). We show that the Li vs Fe trend provides a tough discriminant between alternative models for GCE of light-elements. We critically assess current systematic uncertainties, and determine the primordial Li abundance within new, much tighter limits. We show that the Li constraint on $Ω_b$ is now limited principally by uncertainties in the nuclear cross-sections used in BBN {\it calculations}, not by the abundance itself. A clearer understanding of systematics allows for a much more accurate inference of the primordial Li abundance, sharpening the comparison with He4 and deuterium and the resulting test of BBN. We find that the Li data are in good agreement with He4 and with ``high'' deuterium values, but that low deuterium abundances are at best marginally within the Li range.