Primordial helium response to a varying gravitational constant
ID: primordial-helium-response-to-a-varying-gravitational-constant
If the Friedmann equation remains approximately , radiation domination and fixed weak microphysics give and a neutron-proton conversion rate proportional to . Cosmological weak freeze-out then occurs at . Increasing during this era raises the neutron-to-proton ratio at freeze-out and shortens the time for free-neutron decay after freeze-out. Both increase the primordial helium mass fraction when neutron-limited helium synthesis remains efficient. Arbitrary variation of over time requires its history and the full gravitational field equations; this scaling is a controlled background approximation, rather than a complete model of gravity with arbitrary time dependence.
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