Related papers: Is there Correlation between Fine Structure and Da…
(abridged) Quasar absorption lines provide a precise test of the assumed constancy of the fundamental constants of physics. We have investigated potential changes in the fine-structure constant, alpha, and the proton-to-electron mass ratio,…
Recent observations show that the electromagnetic fine-structure constant, $\alpha_e$, may vary with space and time. In the framework of Finsler spacetime, we propose here an anisotropic cosmological model, in which both the spatial and…
Detecting any evolution of dimensionless in the ratios of physical quantities, such as the fine structure constant, would prove that the Weak Equivalence Principle is violated and lead to a paradigm shift in physics. High resolution…
(abridged) We present a new analysis of a large sample of quasar absorption-line spectra obtained using UVES (the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph) on the VLT (Very Large Telescope) in Chile. In the VLT sample (154 absorbers), we…
We statistically analyse a recent sample of data points measuring the fine-structure constant alpha (relative to the terrestrial value) in quasar absorption systems. Using different statistical techniques, we find general agreement with…
We propose a Finsler spacetime scenario of the anisotropic universe. The Finslerian universe requires both the fine-structure constant and accelerating cosmic expansion have dipole structure, and the directions of these two dipoles are the…
We review the evidence behind recent claims of spatial variation in the fine structure constant deriving from observations of ionic absorption lines in the light from distant quasars. To this end we expand upon previous non-Bayesian…
The hard X-ray (>2 keV) emission of the local and distant Universe as observed with the HEAO1-A2 experiment is reconsidered in the context of large scale cosmic structure. Using all-sky X-ray samples of AGN and galaxy clusters we remove the…
A wide range of large scale observations hint towards possible modifications on the standard cosmological model which is based on a homogeneous and isotropic universe with a small cosmological constant and matter. These observations, also…
We obtain the dipolar anisotropies in the arrival directions of ultra-high energy cosmic ray nuclei diffusing from nearby extragalactic sources. We consider mixed-composition scenarios in which different cosmic ray nuclei are accelerated up…
In a previous paper we have introduced a new cosmological model that we called the logotropic model. The logotropic model is able to account, without free parameter, for the constant surface density of the dark matter halos, for their…
We reanalyse the prospects for upcoming Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Ray experiments in connection with the phenomenology of Super-heavy Dark Matter. We identify a set of observables well suited to reveal a possible anisotropy in the High…
We discuss present and future cosmological constraints on variations of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ induced by an early dark energy component having the simplest allowed (linear) coupling to electromagnetism. We find that current…
Recent data from the Pierre Auger Observatory has revealed the presence of a large-scale dipole in the arrival direction distribution of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR). In this work, we build up an understanding of the diffusive…
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 previously reported Keck telescope observations suggesting a smaller value of the fine structure constant, alpha, at high redshift. New Very Large Telescope (VLT) data, probing a different direction in the universe, shows an inverse…
The "dark flow" dipole is a statistically significant dipole found at the position of galaxy clusters in filtered maps of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) temperature anisotropies. The dipole measured in WMAP 3, 5 and 7 yr data releases…
We obtain the dipolar anisotropies in the arrival directions of ultra-high energy cosmic rays diffusing from nearby extragalactic sources. We discuss both the energy regime of spatial diffusion and the quasi-rectilinear one leading to just…
The high-significance measurement of large-scale structure signals enables testing the isotropy of the Universe. The measurement of cosmological parameters through the large-scale distribution of matter is now a mature domain. This approach…
Recent observations on the quasar absorption spectra supply evidence for the variation of the fine structure constant $\alpha$. In this paper, we propose another interpretation of the observational data on the quasar absorption spectra: a…