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New reaction rates for the destruction of 7Be during big bang nucleosynthesis measured at CERN/n_TOF and their implications on the cosmological lithium problem

New measurements of the 7Be(n, α)4He and 7Be(n, p)7Li reaction cross sections from thermal to keV neutron energies have been recently performed at CERN/n_TOF. Based on the new experimental results, astrophysical reaction rates have been derived for both reactions, including a proper evaluation of their uncertainties in the thermal energy range of interest for big bang nucleosynthesis studies. The new estimate of the 7Be destruction rate, based on these new results, yields a decrease of the predicted cosmological 7Li abundance insufficient to provide a viable solution to the cosmological lithium problem.

n_TOF, 7Be, big bang nucleosynthesis, cosmological lithium problem

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