Search for a resonant enhancement of the 7Be + d reaction and primordial 7Li abundances

Abstract

Big Bang nucleosynthesis calculations, constrained by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe results, produce 7Li abundances almost a factor of four larger than those extrapolated from observations. Since primordial 7Li is believed to be mostly produced by the beta decay of 7Be, one proposed solution to this discrepancy is a resonant enhancement of the 7Be(d,p)2α reaction rate through the 5/2+ 16.7-MeV state in 9B. The 2H(7Be,d)7Be reaction was used to search for such a resonance; none was observed. An upper limit on the width of the proposed resonance was deduced. © 2011 American Physical Society.