Nucleosynthesis in bouncing cosmologies

Abstract

It is shown that certain anomalies connected with the primordial abundances of light nuclei may be resolved if it is assumed that the Universe oscillates between phases of finite densities. Since general relativity does not produce bouncing models of the Universe, such models are obtained through the introduction of a negative energy scalar field of zero rest mass. It is shown that all the relevant parameters of the dynamics of the model and the nucleosynthesis in it are determined by observations and that a self-consistent picture emerges. The model is capable of admitting more than three neutrino flavours without an embarrassingly high primordial helium content. It is also shown that the calculations could be adapted to described production of light nuclei in compact massive bouncing objects.