Speaker
Description
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) models combine cosmological and particle physics models with nuclear reaction cross section data to predict the primordial abundances of the light elements. The deuterium abundance is of particular focus as it is extremely sensitive to the baryon density in the early Universe. A precise measure of the baryon density from BBN, along with precision measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), and the primordial deuterium abundance could provide for a probe of beyond the standard model physics between the BBN and recombination epochs in the early Universe. Astronomical observations of the primordial deuterium abundance and measurements of the CMB, have now reached percent level precision. However, the use of deuterium as a precision cosmological probe is now limited by uncertainties in the key D+D nuclear reaction cross sections.
In this talk, I will present a recent measurement of the D+D reactions using the CARME array at the CRYRING@FAIR low-energy storage ring. The CRYRING allows the storage of heavy-ions at low energies below 1 MeV/A, ideal for studying low-energy nuclear reactions for astrophysics. Here, deuterium ions were stored in the CRYRING at energies relevant for BBN and interacted with an ultra-thin gas-jet deuterium target every revolution around the ring. Nuclear reaction products were detected by specialised silicon detectors mounted directly under the extreme high-vacuum (XHV) conditions within the ring. I will present the details of this measurement and the potential impact on Big Bang Nucleosynthesis.
CARME is a significant part of the UK in-kind contribution to FAIR and is supported by the ERC-STG grant ELDAR.
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