Dictionary

light elements

According to the big bang models, the early universe underwent a brief period of primordial nucleosynthesis between a few seconds and a few minutes cosmic time, during which nuclei of light elements such as heavy hydrogen, helium and lithium formed.

A brief account of this Big Bang Nucleosynthesis can be found in the spotlight text Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, while Equilibrium and change provides more information about the physical processes involved and Elements of the past describes how the predictions of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis can be tested against astronomical observation.