Big bang nucleosynthesis ( BBN ) and the cosmic baryon density from cosmic microwave background anisotropies together predict a primordial ^ { 7 } { Li } abundance a factor of 2–3 higher than that observed in galactic halo dwarf stars .
A recent analysis of ^ { 7 } { Li } observations in halo stars , using significantly higher surface temperature for these stars , found a higher Li plateau abundance .
These results go a long way towards resolving the discrepancy with BBN .
Here , we examine the implications of the higher surface temperatures on the abundances of Be and B which are thought to have been produced in galactic cosmic-ray nucleosynthesis by spallation of CNO together with Li ( produced in \alpha + \alpha collisions ) .
While the Be abundance is not overly sensitive to the surface temperature , the derived B abundances and more importantly the derived oxygen abundances are very temperature dependent .
If the new temperature scale is correct , the implied increased abundances of these elements poses a serious challenge to models of galactic cosmic ray nucleosynthesis and galactic chemical evolution .