Resonant Destruction as a Possible Solution to the Cosmological Lithium
  Problem
  We explore a nuclear physics resolution to the discrepancy between the
predicted standard big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) abundance of 7Li and its
observational determination in metal-poor stars. The theoretical 7Li abundance
is 3-4 times greater than the observational values, assuming the
baryon-to-photon ratio, eta_wmap, determined by WMAP. The 7Li problem could be
resolved within the standard BBN picture if additional destruction of A=7
isotopes occurs due to new nuclear reaction channels or upward corrections to
existing channels. This could be achieved via missed resonant nuclear
reactions, which is the possibility we consider here. We find some potential
candidate resonances which can solve the lithium problem and specify their
required resonant energies and widths. For example, a 1^- or 2^- excited state
of 10C sitting at approximately 15.0 MeV above its ground state with an
effective width of order 10 keV could resolve the 7Li problem; the existence of
this excited state needs experimental verification. Other examples using known
states include 7Be+t \rightarrow 10B(18.80 MeV), and 7Be+d \rightarrow 9B(16.71
MeV). For all of these states, a large channel radius (a > 10 fm) is needed to
give sufficiently large widths. Experimental determination of these reaction
strengths is needed to rule out or confirm these nuclear physics solutions to
the lithium problem.
