English

A Cosmological Tale of Two Varying Constants

Astrophysics 2014-10-13 v1 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

We formulate a simple extension of general relativity which incorporates space-time variations in the Newtonian gravitation 'constant', GG, and the fine structure 'constant', α\alpha , which generalises Brans-Dicke theory and our theory of varying α.\alpha . We determine the behaviour of Friedmann universes in this theory. In the radiation and dust-dominated eras αG\alpha G approaches a constant value and the rate of variation of α\alpha is equal to the magnitude of the rate of variation in GG. The expansion dynamics of the universe are dominated by the variation of GG but the variation of GG has significant effects upon the time variation of α.\alpha . Time variations in α\alpha are extinguished by the domination of the expansion by spatial curvature or quintessence fields, as in the case with no GG variation.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0204357,
  title  = {A Cosmological Tale of Two Varying Constants},
  author = {J. D. Barrow and J. Magueijo and H. B. Sandvik},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0204357},
  year   = {2014}
}

Comments

8 pages, 2 figures. Submitted to Phys. Lett. B