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A nice solution to the lithium discrepancy, recently published in Nature:
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0608201
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0608201
(Pages 7 & 8)To get the observed abundances of light elements besides 4He, one would have to fall back upon a host of other mechanisms that were being explored in the SBB in the pre-1976 days. The most popular processes are:
(i) nucleosynthesis by secondary explosions of super massive objects [6], (ii) nucleosynthesis in inhomogeneous models,
(iii) effect of inhomogeneous n/p ratios as the universe comes out of the QGP phase transition,
(iv) spallation of light nuclei at a much later epoch. It is easy to rule out the survival of D by the processes (ii) and (iii) while the process (i) requires very special initial conditions.
It also shares a common difficulty with process (iv), viz.: the production of D to the required levels is possible but it is accompanied by an overproduction of lithium. Any later destruction of lithium in turn completely destroys D. Within the framework of the cosmological evolution that we are exploring here, we find the best promise in a model that
would combine (ii) and (iv).
The "Solution to the lithium discrepancy" refers to a long-standing problem in astrophysics where the observed abundance of lithium in the universe is significantly lower than what is predicted by theoretical models.
The lithium discrepancy is important because it challenges our current understanding of the formation and evolution of the universe. It also has implications for our understanding of the structure of stars and the processes that occur within them.
There are several proposed solutions to the lithium discrepancy, including the possibility of incomplete mixing of stellar material, the existence of unknown nuclear reactions, and the effects of galactic chemical evolution.
Scientists have conducted various observations and experiments to support these proposed solutions. For example, observations of the surface abundance of lithium in old stars suggest that incomplete mixing may be a contributing factor, while experiments at particle accelerators have provided evidence for possible unknown nuclear reactions.
No, the lithium discrepancy is not completely solved. While there are promising explanations, further research and observations are needed to fully understand and resolve this discrepancy.