Seminar
The abundance of primordial helium: a keystone in our understanding of the Universe

Abstract

Primordial helium might seem to be just a tiny piece in our understanding of how the Universe was born; still, it is a piece that must fit in if we are to ensure that the whole Big Bang scenario is consistent. During the last decade, a significant effort has been aimed at achieving the necessary accuracy to achieve this goal. While we still do not have a firm handle on it, we have learned quite a few things on the way. The talk will provide a review of this quest, highlighting the uncertainties that still remain and the feedback that it has provided to our knowledge of how H II regions work.