Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2010/iii/paper-53/2/i/c/solution

A thermally populated extra light neutrino species is relativistic during nucleosynthesis; its mass is negligible at MeV temperatures. One neutrino-antineutrino species adds to . Thus the expansion rate increases by and the freeze-out temperature by . Earlier freeze-out leaves more neutrons, while faster cooling leaves less time for decay. The helium-4 abundance increases. This assumes the new species was populated at the standard neutrino temperature; an unpopulated species would not contribute this extra density.

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