Constraints on Supersymmetric Models from Catalytic Primordial Nucleosynthesis of Beryllium

TL;DR

This paper investigates how catalyzed primordial nucleosynthesis constrains supersymmetric models with charged relics, especially focusing on the lifetime of slepton NLSPs based on ^9Be observational limits.

Contribution

It provides new bounds on the lifetime of charged slepton NLSPs in supersymmetric models using primordial ^9Be abundance constraints.

Findings

Slepton NLSP lifetime must be less than 6000 seconds.

^9Be data strongly restricts supersymmetric models with charged relics.

Late-time destruction of ^6Li and ^9Be does not significantly alter the constraints.

Abstract

The catalysis of nuclear reactions by negatively charged relics leads to increased outputs of primordial ^6Li and ^9Be. In combination with observational constraints on the primordial fractions of ^6Li and ^9Be, this imposes strong restrictions on the primordial abundance and the lifetime of charged relics. We analyze the constraints from the catalysis of ^9Be on supersymmetric models in which the gravitino is the lightest supersymmetric particle and a charged slepton--such as the lighter stau--the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP). Barring the special cases in which the primordial fraction of the slepton NLSP is significantly depleted, we find that the ^9Be data require a slepton NLSP lifetime of less than 6x10^3 seconds. We also address the issue of the catalytic destruction of ^6Li and ^9Be by late forming bound states of protons with negatively charged relics finding that it does not lead to any significant modification of the limit on the slepton lifetime.