Calculate the total effective number of relativistic spin states $g_{*}$ present in the early universe when the temperature $T$ is $10^{10} \mathrm{~K}$ if there are three species of low-mass neutrinos and antineutrinos in addition to photons, electrons and positrons. If the weak interaction rate is $\Gamma=\left(T / 10^{10} \mathrm{~K}\right)^{5} \mathrm{~s}^{-1}$ and the expansion rate of the universe is $H=\sqrt{8 \pi G \rho / 3}$, where $\rho$ is the total density of the universe, calculate the temperature $T_{*}$ at which the neutrons and protons cease to interact via weak interactions, and show that $T_{*} \propto g_{*}^{1 / 6}$.

State the formula for the equilibrium ratio of neutrons to protons at $T_{*}$, and briefly describe the sequence of events as the temperature falls from $T_{*}$ to the temperature at which the nucleosynthesis of helium and deuterium ends.

What is the effect of an increase or decrease of $g_{*}$ on the abundance of helium-4 resulting from nucleosynthesis? Why do changes in $g_{*}$ have a very small effect on the final abundance of deuterium?