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Laser Comb Wavelength calibration shows that the ThAr one is locally unreliable with possible deviations of up to 100 m/s within one order range, while delivering an overall 1 m/s accuracy (Wilken et al 2009). Such deviation corresponds to…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2009-10-27 Miriam Centurión , Paolo Molaro , Sergei Levshakov

The fine structure constant, $\alpha$, sets the strength of the electromagnetic force. The Standard Model of particle physics provides no explanation for its value, which could potentially vary. The wavelengths of stellar absorption lines…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2022-11-30 Michael T. Murphy , Daniel A. Berke , Fan Liu , Chris Flynn , Christian Lehmann , Vladimir A. Dzuba , Victor V. Flambaum

At present several groups are analyzing astrophysical data in a search for time-variation of the fine structure constant $\alpha$. Here we discuss how to exclude systematic effects caused by the changes in the isotope abundances during the…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-08-18 M. G. Kozlov , V. A. Korol , J. C. Berengut , V. A. Dzuba , V. V. Flambaum

The offsets between the radial velocities of the rotational transitions of carbon monoxide and the fine structure transitions of neutral and singly ionized carbon are used to test the hypothetical variation of the fine structure constant,…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2017-08-23 S. A. Levshakov , K. -W. Ng , C. Henkel , B. Mookerjea

Microwave and submillimeter molecular transition frequencies between nearly degenerated rotational levels, tunneling transitions, and mixed tunneling-rotational transitions show an extremely high sensitivity to the values of the…

Atomic Physics · Physics 2016-10-26 M. G. Kozlov , S. A. Levshakov

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…

Astrophysics · Physics 2007-05-23 M. J. Drinkwater , J. K. Webb , J. D. Barrow , V. V. Flambaum

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…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-08-18 M. T. Murphy , J. K. Webb , V. V. Flambaum , M. J. Drinkwater , F. Combes , T. Wiklind

We report unbiased AI measurements of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ in two proximate absorption regions in the spectrum of the quasar HE0515$-$4414. The data are high resolution, high signal to noise, and laser frequency comb…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2025-03-18 John K. Webb , Chung-Chi Lee , Dinko Milakovic , Victor V. Flambaum , Vladimir A. Dzuba , Joao Magueijo

We investigate the effect of variation in the value of the fine structure constant at high redshifts (recombination > z > 30) on the absorption of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at 21 cm hyperfine transition of the neutral atomic…

Astrophysics · Physics 2008-11-26 Rishi Khatri , Benjamin D. Wandelt

A new method for examining the possible space-time variation of the fine structure constant ($\alpha$) is proposed. The technique uses a relatively simple measurement with an optical resonator to compare atom-stabilized optical frequency…

Atomic Physics · Physics 2007-05-23 J. R. Torgerson

We study the cosmological constraints of the time variation of the electron mass $m_e$ and the fine-structure constant $\alpha$, using data of cosmic microwave background, supernovae light curve and baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2025-04-15 Yo Toda , Osamu Seto

We propose a new probe of the dependence of the fine structure constant, alpha, on a strong gravitational field using metal lines in the spectra of white dwarf stars. Comparison of laboratory spectra with far-UV astronomical spectra from…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2013-07-10 J. C. Berengut , V. V. Flambaum , A. Ong , J. K. Webb , John D. Barrow , M. A. Barstow , S. P. Preval , J. B. Holberg

Searches for variations of fundamental constants require accurate measurement errors. There are several potential sources of errors and quantifying each one accurately is essential. This paper addresses one source of uncertainty relating to…

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics · Physics 2022-12-02 Chung-Chi Lee , John K. Webb , Darren Dougan , Vladimir A. Dzuba , Victor V. Flambaum

We study a theory in which the electromagnetic field is disformally coupled to a scalar field, in addition to a usual non-minimal electromagnetic coupling. We show that disformal couplings modify the expression for the fine-structure…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2015-12-16 Carsten van de Bruck , Jurgen Mifsud , Nelson J. Nunes

The possible variation of the electromagnetic fine structure constant $\alpha_e$ on cosmological scales arouses great interests in recent years. The strongly lensed gravitational waves and the electromagnetic counterparts could be used to…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2018-09-05 Xin Li , Li Tang , Hai-Nan Lin , Li-Li Wang

Evidence from a large sample of quasar absorption-line spectra in damped Lyman-alpha systems has suggested a possible time variation of the fine structure constant alpha. The most statistically significant portion of this sample involves…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-09-15 Timothy P. Ashenfelter , Grant J. Mathews , Keith A. Olive

We consider the problem of the evolution of the fine structure coefficient alpha under the assumption that the scalar field coupling to the Maxwell term satisfies the condition mt>>1 for coherent dark matter oscillations. In this case we…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-11-10 M. G. Barnett , R. Dick , K. E. Wunderle

Comparison of quasar absorption line spectra with laboratory spectra provides a precise probe for variability of the fine structure constant, alpha, over cosmological time-scales. We constrain variation in alpha in 21 Keck/HIRES Si IV…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-08-18 M. T. Murphy , J. K. Webb , V. V. Flambaum , J. X. Prochaska , A. M. Wolfe

The recent measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies at arcminute angular scales performed by the ACT and SPT experiments are probing the damping regime of CMB fluctuations. The analysis of these datasets unexpectedly…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2013-05-30 Eloisa Menegoni , Maria Archidiacono , Erminia Calabrese , Silvia Galli , C. J. A. P. Martins , Alessandro Melchiorri

Many modern theories predict that the fundamental constants depend on time, position, or the local density of matter. We develop a spectroscopic method for pulsed beams of cold molecules, and use it to measure the frequencies of microwave…