1985/06/01 by J. Audouze, David Lindley, Joseph Silk · 53 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Physics #Big Bang nucleosynthesis #Nucleosynthesis #Neutrino #Big Bang (financial markets) #Cosmology #Astrophysics #Astronomy #Universe #Supernova #Particle physics
paper · doi:10.1086/184490
published in The Astrophysical Journal 293, L53 (IOP Publishing)
openalex publication_date 1985/06/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
Two nonstandard scenarios for pregalactic synthesis of the light elements (<SUP>2</SUP>H, <SUP>3</SUP>He, <SUP>4</SUP>He, and <SUP>7</SUP>Li) are developed. Big bang photosynthesis occurs if energetic photons, produced by the decay of massive neutrinos or gravitinos, partially photodisintegrate <SUP>4</SUP>He (formed in the standard hot big bang) to produce <SUP>2</SUP>H and <SUP>3</SUP>He. In this case, primordial nucleosynthesis no longer constrains the baryon density of the universe, or the number of neutrino species. Alternatively, one may dispense partially or completely with the hot big bang and produce the light elements by bombardment of primordial gas, provided that <SUP>4</SUP>He is synthesized by a later generation of massive stars.