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Murphy et al. (2003a, MNRAS, 345, 609) claim to find evidence of cosmological variations of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ in the spectra of intervening QSO absorption line systems. We find that this result is affected by systematic…

Astrophysics · Physics 2016-08-30 Rino Bandiera , Edvige Corbelli

We propose a new method to probe a possible time evolution of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ from X-ray and Sunyaev-Zeldovich measurements of the gas mass fraction ($f_{gas}$) in galaxy clusters. Taking into account a direct relation…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2021-11-01 R. F. L. Holanda , S. J. Landau , J. S. Alcaniz , I. E. Sanchez G. , V. C. Busti

The brightest southern quasar above redshift $z=1$, HE 0515$-$4414, with its strong intervening metal absorption-line system at $z_{abs}=1.1508$, provides a unique opportunity to precisely measure or limit relative variations in the…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2016-12-07 Srđan M. Kotuš , Michael T. Murphy , Robert F. Carswell

The constraints on the time variation of the fine structure constant at recombination epoch relative to its present value, $\Delta\alpha/\alpha \equiv (\alpha_{\mathrm{rec}} - \alpha_{\mathrm{now}})/\alpha_{\mathrm{now}}$, are obtained from…

Astrophysics · Physics 2014-11-18 Masahiro Nakashima , Ryo Nagata , Jun'ichi Yokoyama

Numerous few-electron atomic systems are considered which can be used effectively for observing a potential variation of the fine-structure constant $\alpha$ and the electron-proton mass ratio $m_e/m_p$. We examine optical magnetic dipole…

Most of the successful physical theories rely on the constancy of few fundamental quantities (such as the speed of light, $c$, the fine-structure constant, \alpha, the proton to electron mass ratio, \mu, etc), and constraining the possible…

Astrophysics · Physics 2008-11-26 Raghunathan Srianand , Hum Chand , Patrick Petitjean , Bastien Aracil

Using a gauge-invariant formalism we derive and solve the perturbed cosmological equations for the BSBM theory of varying fine structure 'constant'. We calculate the time evolution of inhomogeneous perturbations of the fine structure…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2009-11-07 John D. Barrow , D. F. Mota

We report new upper limits on any possible long-term time variation of the ratio of the electron to proton masses, $(m_e/m_p)$, the fine-structure constant, ($\alpha$), and the quantity $\alpha^2 g_p(m_e/m_p)$, where $g_p$ is the proton…

Astrophysics · Physics 2011-07-18 Lennox L. Cowie , Antoinette Songaila

The observation of space-time variations in fundamental constants would provide strong evidence for the existence of new light degrees of freedom in the theory of Nature. Robustly constraining such scenarios requires exploiting observations…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2020-06-17 Laura Lopez-Honorez , Olga Mena , Sergio Palomares-Ruiz , Pablo Villanueva-Domingo , Samuel J. Witte

[O III]$\lambda\lambda$4960,5008 doublet are often the strongest narrow emission lines in starburst galaxies and quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), and thus are a promising probe to possible variation of the fine-structure constant $\alpha$ over…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2023-10-30 Ge Li , Luming Sun , Xiangjun Chen , Hongyan Zhou

(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…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2015-05-18 S. A. Levshakov , P. Molaro , D. Reimers

At redshifts z_abs < 2, quasar absorption-line constraints on space-time variations in the fine-structure constant, alpha, rely on the comparison of MgII and FeII transition wavelengths. One potentially important uncertainty is the relative…

Astrophysics · Physics 2008-11-26 Y. Fenner , M. T. Murphy , B. K. Gibson

Dependence of transition frequencies on the fine structure constant $\alpha=e^2/\hbar c$ is calculated for several many-electron systems which are used or planned to be used in the laboratory search for the time variation of the fine…

Atomic Physics · Physics 2009-11-13 V. A. Dzuba , V. V. Flambaum

Contemporary multidimensional cosmological theories predict different variations of fundamental physical constants in course of the cosmological evolution. On the basis of the QSO spectra analysis, we show that the fine-structure constant…

Astrophysics · Physics 2007-05-23 D. A. Varshalovich , A. Y. Potekhin , A. V. Ivanchik , V. E. Panchuk , K. M. Lanzetta

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…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2015-05-18 N. Kanekar , J. X. Prochaska , S. L. Ellison , J. N. Chengalur

Bekenstein's model of a scalar field, \phi, that affects the electromagnetic permeability (usually identified with ``changing \alpha'') predicts tiny variations of the effective fine structure constant up to very high red-shifts,…

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology · Physics 2009-09-15 Keith A. Olive , Maxim Pospelov

We use recent astrophysical and local tests of the stability of the fine-structure constant, $\alpha$, to constrain a particular phenomenological but physically motivated class of models in which the dark energy equation of state can…

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Physics 2019-03-12 C. J. A. P. Martins , M. Prat Colomer

Comparison of quasar absorption spectra with laboratory spectra allow us to probe possible variations in the fundamental constants over cosmological time-scales. In a companion paper we present an analysis of Keck/HIRES spectra and report…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-08-18 M. T. Murphy , J. K. Webb , V. V. Flambaum , C. W. Churchill , J. X. Prochaska

We use the strong nebular lines of O III, 5007 A and 4959 A, to set a robust upper limit on the time dependence of the fine structure constant. We find |alpha^{-1} d alpha(t)/dt | < 2*10^{-13} yr, corresponding to Delta alpha/alpha(0) =…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-09-29 John N. Bahcall , Charles L. Steinhardt , David Schlegel

In present paper we evaluate the fine structure constant variation, that should take place as the Universe expands and its curvature is changed adiabatically. Such variation of the fine structure constant is attributed to an energy losses…

General Physics · Physics 2020-12-15 Anton A. Lipovka , Ivan A. Cardenas