Primordial Helium Abundance from CMB: a constraint from recent observations and a forecast

Abstract

We studied a constraint on the primordial helium abundance Y_p from current and future observations of CMB. Using the currently available data from WMAP, ACBAR, CBI and BOOMERANG, we obtained the constraint as Y_p = 0.25^{+0.10}_{-0.07} at 68% C.L. We also provide a forecast for the Planck experiment using the Markov chain Monte Carlo approach. In addition to forecasting the constraint on Y_p, we investigate how assumptions for Y_p affect constraints on the other cosmological parameters.

17 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables; update after WMAP 5-year results, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D