B Why isn't Dark Matter involved in Weak Nuclear reactions during BBN?

[Doctor Strange]

Several articles I've read say that the basis for BBN is that we know how particles react here on earth, so we can extrapolate that and make precise predictions for the composition of the universe at a given energy level. For example, at 100 Billion K, we have a pretty good idea how neutrons, protons, electrons, photons and the like would combine, recombine and form an equilibrium based on a statistical model.

So here's the part I don't get: Dark Matter has the same electrical properties as neutrons. Dark matter participates in Weak Nuclear reactions. So how come none of these reactions involve Dark Matter (which was abundant as a primordial particle at this time)?

 

[Drakkith]

So here's the part I don't get: Dark Matter has the same electrical properties as neutrons. Dark matter participates in Weak Nuclear reactions. So how come none of these reactions involve Dark Matter (which was abundant as a primordial particle at this time)?

There's no evidence for either of these. Dark matter isn't known to have electromagnetic properties, unlike a neutron which at least has a magnetic moment and is also composed of electrically charged particles, nor is there evidence for dark matter participating in weak nuclear reactions.

Edit: I've also changed the thread prefix to B instead of A since this discussion is not at an A level.

 

[PeterDonis]

Several articles I've read

Please give specific references (and not pop science ones, actual textbooks or peer-reviewed papers).

 

[Doctor Strange]

Please give specific references (and not pop science ones, actual textbooks or peer-reviewed papers).

While the early universe is totally unlike our everyday world, the basic nuclear physics at the appropriate energies is well within the range of laboratory experiments. Following such experiments, the properties of the relevant nuclear reactions are very well known. Physicists can base their calculations on solid experimental data when they want to describe reactions like the one pictured here

http://www.einstein-online.info/spotlights/BBN_phys
http://w.astro.berkeley.edu/~mwhite/darkmatter/bbndetails.html
http://pdg.lbl.gov/2011/reviews/rpp2011-rev-bbang-nucleosynthesis.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis

 

[PeterDonis]

Doctor Strange, which of your four links is the text you quoted from?

Also, which, if any, of these references are your source for the statements quoted below?

Dark Matter has the same electrical properties as neutrons. Dark matter participates in Weak Nuclear reactions. So how come none of these reactions involve Dark Matter (which was abundant as a primordial particle at this time)?

 

[Doctor Strange]

nor is there evidence for dark matter participating in weak nuclear reactions.

You do understand that WIMP stands for "Weakly Interacting Massive Particle", right?

 

[PeterDonis]

You do understand that WIMP stands for "Weakly Interacting Massive Particle", right?

You do understand that "Weakly Interacting" here does not refer to the known weak interaction, right?

Thread closed until the OP can give (by PM) acceptable references that back up the claims made in the OP.