Helium sensitivity to the expansion rate ($T_f\propto (G{g}_{\ast }{)}^{1/6}$)

During radiation domination, the weak conversion rate scales as $T^5$ whereas the Hubble parameter scales as $\sqrt{G{g}_{\ast }}{T}^2$. Their crossing fixes the cosmological weak freeze-out temperature. A faster expansion raises it, leaving a larger neutron-to-proton ratio, and shortens the interval for free-neutron decay after freeze-out. Both effects increase the helium-4 mass fraction if the extra component does not independently change reaction rates or inject decay products.

If the Friedmann equation remains approximately $H^2=8\pi G\rho /3$, radiation domination and fixed weak microphysics give $H\propto \sqrt{G}{T}^2$ and a neutron-proton conversion rate proportional to $T^5$. Cosmological weak freeze-out then occurs at $T_f\propto G^{1/6}$. Increasing $G$ 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 $G$ 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.

A moderately enhanced Hubble parameter raises the primordial helium mass fraction through earlier cosmological weak freeze-out and less free-neutron decay after freeze-out, provided nuclear burning still incorporates nearly all surviving neutrons into helium-4. This provision matters: if expansion carries the gas through the nuclear-burning temperature range faster than the reaction times, neutron-limited helium synthesis no longer applies. More neutrons surviving the bottleneck alone does not prove more final helium in that limit.