Related papers: Robust laboratory limits on a cosmological spatial…
Cosmological probes pose an inverse problem where the measurement result is obtained through observations, and the objective is to infer values of model parameters which characterize the underlying physical system -- our Universe. Modern…
Observational constraints guide one forcefully to examine models in which the matter density is substantially less than critical density. Particularly noteworthy are those which are consistent with inflation. For these models, microwave…
We briefly review the recent experimental results on possible variations of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ on the cosmological time scale and its position dependence. We outline the theoretical grounds for the assumption that $\alpha$…
Strong gravitational lensing along with the distance sum rule method can constrain both cosmological parameters as well as density profiles of galaxies without assuming any fiducial cosmological model. To constrain galaxy parameters and…
We show that, as a result of non-linear self-interactions, it is feasible, at least in light of the bounds coming from terrestrial tests of gravity, measurements of the Casimir force and those constraints imposed by the physics of compact…
A formalism is presented that allows cosmological experiments to be tested for consistency, and allows a simple frequentist interpretation of the resulting significance levels. As an example of an application, this formalism is used to…
The redshift of all cosmological sources drifts by a systematic velocity of order a few m/s over a century due to the deceleration of the Universe. The specific functional dependence of the predicted velocity shift on the source redshift…
Using an approximate likelihood method adapted to band--power estimates, we analyze the ensemble of first generation cosmic microwave background anisotropy experiments to deduce constraints over a six--dimensional parameter space describing…
The Cosmological Principle is a cornerstone of the standard model of cosmology and shapes how we view the Universe and our place within it. It is imperative, then, to devise multiple observational tests which can identify and quantify…
We consider the signatures of a domain wall produced in the spontaneous symmetry breaking involving a dilaton-like scalar field coupled to electromagnetism. Domains on either side of the wall exhibit slight differences in their respective…
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…
(Abridged) A procedure is suggested to explore the value of F = alpha^2/mu, where mu = m_e/m_p is the electron-to-proton mass ratio, and alpha is the fine-structure constant. The fundamental physical constants, which are measured in…
The large difference between the Planck scale and the electroweak scale, known as the hierarchy problem, has been addressed in some models through the existence of extra spatial dimensions. A search for evidence of extra spatial dimensions…
As part of our laboratory investigation of the theoretical line profiles used in white dwarf atmosphere models, we extend the electron-density ($n_{\rm e}$) range measured by our experiments to higher densities (up to…
With the advent of gravitational-wave astronomy marked by the aLIGO GW150914 and GW151226 observations, a measurement of the cosmological speed of gravity will likely soon be realized. We show that a confirmation of equality to the speed of…
We search for a variation of the electromagnetic fine structure constant ($\alpha \equiv e^2/\hbar c$) using a sample of 58 SZ selected clusters in the redshift range ($0.2<z<1.5$) detected by the South Pole Telescope, along with X-ray…
Some tests of gravity theories - periastron shift, geodetic precession, change in mean motion and gravitational redshift - are applied in solar and stellar systems to constrain the cosmological constant. We thus consider a length scale…
The fine structure constant $\alpha$ has a particular status in physics. Its precise determination is required to test the quantum electrodynamics (QED) theory. The constant $\alpha$ is also a keystone for the determination of other…
Studies of weak gravitational lensing by large-scale structures require the measurement of the distortions introduced to the shapes of distant galaxies at the few percent level by anisotropic light deflection along the line of sight. To…
If the recent observations suggesting a time variation of the fine structure constant are correct, they imply the existence of an ultra light scalar particle. This particle inevitably couples to nucleons through the \alpha-dependence of…