skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: REVISED BIG BANG NUCLEOSYNTHESIS WITH LONG-LIVED, NEGATIVELY CHARGED MASSIVE PARTICLES: UPDATED RECOMBINATION RATES, PRIMORDIAL {sup 9}Be NUCLEOSYNTHESIS, AND IMPACT OF NEW {sup 6}Li LIMITS

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series
;  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. School of Liberal Arts and Science, Korea Aerospace University, Goyang 412-791 (Korea, Republic of)
  2. Department of Physics, Soongsil University, Seoul 156-743 (Korea, Republic of)
  3. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)
  4. Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan)

We extensively reanalyze the effects of a long-lived, negatively charged massive particle, X {sup –}, on big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). The BBN model with an X {sup –} particle was originally motivated by the discrepancy between the {sup 6,} {sup 7}Li abundances predicted in the standard BBN model and those inferred from observations of metal-poor stars. In this model, {sup 7}Be is destroyed via the recombination with an X {sup –} particle followed by radiative proton capture. We calculate precise rates for the radiative recombinations of {sup 7}Be, {sup 7}Li, {sup 9}Be, and {sup 4}He with X {sup –}. In nonresonant rates, we take into account respective partial waves of scattering states and respective bound states. The finite sizes of nuclear charge distributions cause deviations in wave functions from those of point-charge nuclei. For a heavy X {sup –} mass, m{sub X} ≳ 100 GeV, the d-wave → 2P transition is most important for {sup 7}Li and {sup 7,} {sup 9}Be, unlike recombination with electrons. Our new nonresonant rate of the {sup 7}Be recombination for m{sub X} = 1000 GeV is more than six times larger than the existing rate. Moreover, we suggest a new important reaction for {sup 9}Be production: the recombination of {sup 7}Li and X {sup –} followed by deuteron capture. We derive binding energies of X nuclei along with reaction rates and Q values. We then calculate BBN and find that the amount of {sup 7}Be destruction depends significantly on the charge distribution of {sup 7}Be. Finally, updated constraints on the initial abundance and the lifetime of the X {sup –} are derived in the context of revised upper limits to the primordial {sup 6}Li abundance. Parameter regions for the solution to the {sup 7}Li problem and the primordial {sup 9}Be abundances are revised.

OSTI ID:
22340171
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series, Vol. 214, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0067-0049
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English