Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and the Density of Baryons in the Universe

  • Published:
Space Science Reviews Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Now that extragalactic deuterium observations are being made, Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) is on the verge of undergoing a transformation. Previously, the emphasis was on demonstrating the concordance of the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis model with the abundances of the light isotopes extrapolated back to their primordial values using stellar and Galactic evolution theories. Once the primordial deuterium abundance is converged upon, the nature of the field will shift to using the much more precise primordial D/H to constrain the more flexible stellar and Galactic evolution models (although the question of potential systematic error in 4He abundance determinations remains open). The remarkable success of the theory to date in establishing the concordance has led to the very robust conclusion of BBN regarding the baryon density. The BBN constraints on the cosmological baryon density are reviewed and demonstrate that the bulk of the baryons are dark and also that the bulk of the matter in the universe is non-baryonic. Comparison of baryonic density arguments from Lyman-α clouds, x-ray gas in clusters, and the microwave anisotropy are made and shown to be consistent with the BBN value.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alcock, C. et al.: 1993, Nature 365, 621–623.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alcock, C. et al.: 1997, Astrophys. J. 486, 697–726.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alcock, C.R., Fuller, G. and Mathews, G.: 1987, Astrophys. J. 320, 439–447.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alpher, R.A., Bethe, H. and Gamow, G.: 1948, Phys. Rev., 73, 803–804.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alpher, R.A., Follin, J.W. and Herman, R.C.: 1953, Phys. Rev., 92, 1347–1361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Applegate, J.H., Hogan, C.J. and Scherrer, R.J.: 1988, Astrophys. J. 329, 572–579.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aubourg, E. et al.: 1993, Nature 365, 623–625.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bi, H.G. and Davidsen, A.F.: 1997, Astrophys. J. 479, 523–542.

    Google Scholar 

  • Black, D.: 1971, Nature 234, 148–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Copi, C.J., Schramm, D.N. and Turner, M.S.: 1994, Science 267, 192–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Copi, C.J., Schramm, D.N. and Turner, M.S.: 1995, Astrophys. J. 455, L95–L98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Copi, C.J., Schramm, D.N. and Turner, M.S.: 1997, Phys. Rev. D 55, 3389–3393.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, M.: (1997) in A. Olinto (ed.). Proc. of the 18th Texas Symposium on Relativisitic Astrophysics, in press (World Scientific, Singapore).

    Google Scholar 

  • Delyannis, C.P.: 1995, in The Light Element Abundances (Proc. of an ESO/EIPC Workshop held in Marciana Marina, Isola d'Elba, May 1994), ed. P. Crane, ESO Astrophysics Symposia (Berlin: Springer-Verlag), 395–409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, R., Lattimer, J. and Schramm, D.N.: 1976, Nature 263, 198–202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fahlman, G. Kaiser, N., Squires, G. and Woods, D.: 1994, Astrophys. J. 437, 56–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, W.A., Greenstein, J. and Hoyle, F.: 1962 Geophys. J.R.A.S. 6, 148–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frieman, J.A., Hill, C.T., Stebbins, A. and Waga, I.: 1996, Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 2077–2080.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gates, E., Gyuk, G. and Turner, M.: 1995, Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 3724–3727.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geiss, J. and Gloeckler, G.: 1998, in Primordial Nuclei and Their Galactic Evolution, Eds. N. Prantzos, M. Tosi and R. von Steiger (Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic), in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geiss, J. and Reeves, H.: 1971, Astron. and Astrophys. 18, 126–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gloeckler, G. and Geiss, J.: 1996, Nature 381, 210–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gott, J.R., III, Gunn, J., Schramm, D.N. and Tinsley, B.M.: 1974, Astrophys. J. 194, 543–553.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guth, A.: 1981, Phys. Rev. D 23, 347–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hata, N., Scherrer, R.J., Steigman, G., Thomas, D., Walker, T.P., Bludman, S. and Langacker, P.: 1995, Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 3977–3980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi, C.: 1950, Prog. Theor. Phys. 5, 224–235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill, C.T. and Schramm, D.N.: 1985, Phys. Rev. D 31, 564–580.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobbs, L. and Pilachowski, C.: 1988, Astrophys. J. 326, L23–L26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobbs, L. and Thorburn, J.: 1994, Astrophys. J. Lett. 428, L25–L28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogan, C.: 1997, in A. Olinto (ed.). Proc. of the 18th Texas Symposium on Relativisitic Astrophysics, in press (World Scientific, Singapore).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jakobsen, P., Boksenberg, A., Deharveng, J.M., Greenfield, P., Jedrzewski, R. and Paresce, F.: 1994, Nature 370, 35–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jungman, G., Kosowsky, A., Kamionkowski, M., Spergel, D.N.: 1996a, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 1007–1010.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jungman, G., Kosowsky, A., Kamionkowski, M., Spergel, D.N.: 1996b, Phys. Rev. D 54, 1332–1344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kawano, L., Schramm, D.N. and Steigman, G.: 1988, Astrophys. J. 327, 750–754.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kernan, P. and Krauss, L.: 1994, Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 3309–3312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krauss, L.M. and Romanelli, P.: 1990, Astrophys. J. 358, 47–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kronberg, P.P.: 1994, Rep. Prog. Phys. 57, 325–382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemoine, M, Schramm, D.N., Truran, J.W. and Copi, C.J.: 1997, Astrophys. J. 478, 554–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • The LEP Collaboration: ALEPH, DELPHI, L3, and OPAL: 1992, Phys. Lett. B 276, 247–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linde, A.: 1990, Particle Physics and Inflationary Cosmology (Harwood Academic Publishers, N.Y.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Linsky, J.: 1998, in Primordial Nuclei and Their Galactic Evolution, Eds. N. Prantzos, M. Tosi and R. von Steiger (Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic), in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linsky, J., Brown, A., Gayley, K., Diplas, A., Savage, B., Ayres, T., Landsman, W., Shore, S. and Heap, S.: 1993, Astrophys. J. 402, 694–709.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mampe, W. et al.: 1993, JETP Lett. 57, 82–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mampe, W., Ageron, P., Bates, C., Pendlebury, J.M. and Steyerl, A.: 1989, Phys. Rev. Lett. 63A, 593–596.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mushotsky, R.: 1993, in C.W. Akerlof and M.A. Srednicki (eds.), Relativistic Astrophysics and Particle Cosmology: Texas PASCOS 92, Annals of the N.Y Academy of Sciences 688, 184–194.

  • Nollett, K., Lemoine, M. and Schramm, D.N.: 1997, Phys. Rev. C. in press, Aug. 1, 1997.

  • Olive, K. and Schramm, D.N.: 1992, Nature 360, 439–442.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olive, K., Schramm, D.N., Steigman, G., Turner, M. and Yang, J.: 1981, Astrophys. J. 246, 557–568.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olive, K., Schramm, D.N., Steigman, G. and Walker, T.: 1990, Phys. Lett. B 236, 454–460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pagel, B.: 1991, Physica Scripta, T36, 7–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peebles, P.J.E.: 1966, Phys. Rev. Lett. 16, 410–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peebles, P.J.E.: 1971, Physical Cosmology (Princeton University Press).

  • Quashnock, J.M. and Vanden Berk, D.E.: 1997, Astrophyhs. J., submitted.

  • Rebolo, R., Molaro, P. and Beckman, J.: 1988, Astron. and Astrophys. 192, 192–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeves, H., Audouze, J., Fowler, W.A. and Schramm, D.N.: 1973, Astrophys. J. 179, 909–930.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeves, H., Fowler, W.A. and Hoyle, F.: 1970, Nature 226, 727–729.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogerson, J. and York, D.: 1973, Astrophys. J. 186, L95–L98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rood, R.T., Bania, T., and Wilson, J.: 1992, Nature 355, 618–620.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rood, R.T., Steigman, G. and Tinsley, B.M.: 1976, Astrophys. J. 207, L57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryter, C., Reeves, H., Gradstajn, E. and Audouze, J.: 1970, Astron. and Astrophys 8, 389–397.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schramm, D.N.: 1997, ‘Primordial Nucleosynthesis.’ PNAS, 94, in press.

  • Schramm, D.N. and Kawano, L.: 1989, Nucl. Inst. and Methods A 284, 84–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schramm, D.N. and Wagoner, R.V.: 1977, Ann. Rev. of Nuc. Sci. 27, 37–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schvartzman, V.F.: 1969, JETP Letters 9, 184–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, D. and White, M.: 1995, Gen. Rel. and Grav. 27, 1023–1030.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scully, S.T., Cassé, M., Olive, K.A., Schramm, D.N., Truran, J. and Vangioni-Flam, E.: 1996, Astrophys. J. 462, 960–968.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi, X., Schramm, D.N., Dearborn, D. and Truran, J.W.: 1995, Comments on Astrophys. 17, 343–360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, V.V., Lambert, D.L. and Nissen, P.E.: 1993, Astrophys. J. 408, 262–276.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spite, M., Nissen, P.E. and Spite, F.: 1996, Astron. and Astrophys. 307, 172–183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spite, J. and Spite, M.: 1982, Astron. and Astrophys. 115, 357–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steigman, G., Fields, B.D., Schramm, D.N., Olive, K. and Walker T.: 1993, Astrophys. J. 415, L35–L38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steigman, G., Schramm, D.N. and Gunn, J.: 1977, Phys. Lett. B 66, 202–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strickland, R. and Schramm: 1997, Astrophys. J., in press.

  • Tayler, R. and Hoyle, F.: 1964, Nature 203, 1108–1110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thuan, T.X., Izotov, Y.I. and Lipovetsky, V.A.: 1996, Astrophys. J. 463, 120–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Truran, J.W.: 1965, Doctoral Thesis, Yale University.

  • Truran, J.W., Cameron, A.G.W. and Gilbert, A.: 1966, Can. Jour. of Phys. 44, 563–592.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tytler, D.: 1998, in Primordial Nuclei and their Galactic Evolution, Eds. N. Prantzos, M. Tosi and R. von Steiger (Kluwer, Dordrecht), in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tytler, D., Fan, X.-M. and Burles, S.: 1996, Nature, 381, 207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagoner, R., Fowler, W.A. and Hoyle, F.: 1967, Astrophys. J. 148, 3–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, T., Steigman, G., Schramm, D.N., Olive, K. and Kang, H.S.: 1991, Astrophys. J. 376, 51–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinberg, D.H., Miralda-Escué, J., Hernquist, L. and Katz, N.: 1997, Astrophys. J., 490, 564–570.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, S.D.M., Navarro, J.F., Evrard, A.E. and Frenck, C.S.: 1993, Nature 366, 429–433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, J., Turner, M., Steigman, G., Schramm, D.N. and Olive, K.: 1984, Astrophys. J. 281, 493–511.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Chicago, 5640 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    D.N. Schramm

Authors
  1. D.N. Schramm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schramm, D. Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and the Density of Baryons in the Universe. Space Science Reviews 84, 3–14 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005029824824

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005029824824

Search

Navigation