Related papers: Constraining fundamental constant evolution with H…

We have detected the four 18cm OH lines from the $z \sim 0.765$ gravitational lens toward PMN J0134-0931. The 1612 and 1720 MHz lines are in conjugate absorption and emission, providing a laboratory to test the evolution of fundamental…

We describe a new technique to estimate variations in the fundamental constants using 18cm OH absorption lines. This has the advantage that all lines arise in the same species, allowing a clean comparison between the measured redshifts. In…

We report Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope and Arecibo Telescope observations of the redshifted satellite OH-18cm lines at $z \sim 0.247$ towards PKS1413+135. The "conjugate" nature of these lines, with one line in emission and the…

We report the detection of the satellite 18 cm OH lines at 1612 and 1720 MHz in the z=0.2467 molecular absorption system toward the radio source PKS 1413+135. The two OH lines are conjugate; the 1612 MHz line is seen in absorption while the…

We have used the Arecibo Telescope to carry out one of the deepest-ever integrations in radio astronomy, targetting the redshifted conjugate satellite OH 18 cm lines at $z \approx 0.247$ towards PKS1413+135. The satellite OH 1720 and 1612…

The study of redshifted spectral lines can provide a measure of the fundamental constants over large look-back times. Current grand unified theories predict an evolution in these constants and astronomical observations offer the only…

We have detected narrow HI 21cm and CI absorption at $z \sim 1.4 - 1.6$ towards Q0458$-$020 and Q2337$-$011, and use these lines to test for possible changes in the fine structure constant $\alpha$, the proton-electron mass ratio $\mu$, and…

We describe a new technique to measure variations in the fundamental parameters $\alpha$ and $y \equiv m_e/m_p$, using the sum of the frequencies of cm-wave OH ``main'' lines. The technique is $\sim$ three orders of magnitude more sensitive…

Strong evidence has recently emerged for a variation in the fine structure constant, $\alpha\equiv e^2/\hbar c$, over the history of the Universe. This was concluded from a detailed study of the relative positions of redshifted optical…

QSO absorption spectra provide an extremely useful probe of possible cosmological variation in various physical constants. Comparison of H I 21cm absorption with corresponding molecular (rotational) absorption spectra allows us to constrain…

We investigate the constraints that OH microwave transitions in megamasers and molecular absorbers at cosmological distances may place on the evolution of the fine structure constant alpha=e^2/(hbar c). The centimeter OH transitions are a…

We report deep Green Bank Telescope (GBT) spectroscopy in the redshifted NH$_3$~(1,1), CS~1-0 and H$_2$CO~0$_{\rm 00}$-1$_{\rm 01}$ lines from the $z \sim 0.685$ absorber towards B0218+357. The inversion (NH$_3$) and rotational (CS,…

We report a constraint on the cosmological variation of the proton g-factor, $g_p$. By comparing the measured redshifts between \mbox{H\,{\sc i}} 21 cm and OH 18 cm lines observed with the newly commissioned Five-hundred-meter Aperture…

Nine quasar absorption spectra at 21-cm and UV rest-wavelengths are used to estimate possible variations in x=alpha^2 g_p mu, (alpha is the fine structure constant, g_p the proton g-factor and mu=me/mp the electron-to-proton mass ratio). We…

Absorption-line systems detected in high resolution quasar spectra can be used to compare the value of dimensionless fundamental constants such as the fine-structure constant, alpha, and the proton-to-electron mass ratio, mu = m_p/m_e, as…

We have compared the frequency of high-redshift Hydrogen HI 21 cm absorption with that of associated molecular absorption in two quasars to place new (1 sigma) upper limits on any variation in y = g_p.alpha^2 (where alpha is the fine…

We present precise HI 21 cm absorption line redshifts observed in multiple epochs to directly constrain the secular redshift drift dz/dt_o or the cosmic acceleration, dv/dt_o. A comparison of literature analog spectra to contemporary…

We summarize the attempts by our group and others to derive constraints on variations of fundamental constants over cosmic time using quasar absorption lines. Most upper limits reside in the range 0.5-1.5x10-5 at the 3sigma level over a…

We present a search for associated HI 21 cm absorption in a sample of 29 radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at $0.7 < z < 1$, carried out with the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope. We detect HI 21 cm absorption against none of…

We present the results of a blind search for intervening HI 21 cm absorption toward 260 radio sources in the redshift range 0<z<2.74 with the Green Bank Telescope. The survey has the sensitivity to detect sub-damped Lyman-alpha (DLA)…