Big-bang nucleosynthesis with sub-GeV massive decaying particles

TL;DR

This paper investigates how sub-GeV massive decaying particles affect big-bang nucleosynthesis, deriving constraints on their abundance and exploring potential solutions to the lithium-7 problem.

Contribution

It provides new bounds on decaying particle abundances based on photodissociation effects and discusses a possible resolution to the lithium-7 problem within this context.

Findings

Derived upper bounds on primordial abundances of decaying particles.

Analyzed the impact of energetic photon and electron injections on light element abundances.

Explored a potential solution to the $^7$Li problem using decaying particles.

Abstract

We consider the effects of the injections of energetic photon and electron (or positron) on the big-bang nucleosynthesis. We study the photodissociation of light elements in the early Universe paying particular attention to the case that the injection energy is sub-GeV and derive upper bounds on the primordial abundances of the massive decaying particle as a function of its lifetime. We also discuss a solution of the $^7$Li problem in this framework.