PRODUCTION OF LITHIUM, BERYLLIUM, AND BORON FROM BARYON INHOMOGENEOUSPRIMORDIAL NUCLEOSYNTHESIS

We investigate the possibility that inhomogeneous nucleosynthesis may eventually be used to explain the abundances of Li-6, Be-9, and B in P opulation II stars. The present work differs from previous studies in that we have used a more extensive reaction network. It is demonstrate d that in the simplest scenario the abundances of the light elements w ith A less-than-or-equal-to 7 constrain the separation of inhomogeneit ies to sufficiently small scales that the model is indistinguishable f rom homogeneous nucleosynthesis and that the abundances of Li-6, Be-9, and B are then below observations by several orders of magnitude. Thi s conclusion does not depend on the Li-7 constraint. We also examine a lternative scenarios which involve a post-nucleosynthesis reprocessing of the light elements to reproduce the observed abundances of Li and B, while allowing for a somewhat higher baryon density (still well bel ow the cosmological critical density). Future B/H measurements may be able to exclude even this exotic scenario and further restrict primord ial nucleosynthesis to approach the homogeneous model conclusions.