Constraints on the variation of G from primordial nucleosynthesis -: art. no. 123526

We study here the effect of a varying G on the evolution of the early Universe and, in particular, on primordial nucleosynthesis. This variation of G is modeled using the Brans-Dicke theory as well as a more general class of scalar-tensor theories. Modified nucleosynthesis codes are used to investigate this effect and the results obtained are used to constrain the parameters of the theories. We extend previous studies of primordial nucleosynthesis in scalar-tensor theories by including effects which can cause a slow variation of G during radiation domination and by including a late-time accelerating phase to the Universe's history. We include a brief discussion on the epoch of matter-radiation equality in Brans-Dicke theory, which is also of interest for determining the positions of the cosmic microwave background power-spectrum peaks.