Related papers: Further evidence for a variable fine-structure con…

(Abridged) We present HIRES/Keck spectra having resolution 6 km/s of Mg II 2796 absorption profiles which arise in the gas associated with 15 identified galaxies over the redshift range 0.5 < z < 0.9. Using non-parametric rank correlation…

We study the time variability of five Fe Low ionization Broad Absorption Line (FeLoBAL) QSOs using repeated spectroscopic observations with the 2m telescope at IUCAA Girawali observatory (IGO) spanning an interval of upto 10 years. We…

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 introduce a model which allows the fine structure constant (alpha) to vary throughout space and time due to a coupling to a scalar field with a non-canonical kinetic structure. This provided a new extension of the…

HIRES/Keck spectra of Mg II (2796) absorption arising in the "halos" of 15 identified 0.4 < z < 0.9 galaxies are presented. Comparison of the galaxy and absorbing gas properties reveal that the spatial distribution of galactic/halo gas does…

The rich absorption spectra of Sun-like stars are enticing probes for variations in the fine-structure constant, $\alpha$, which gauges the strength of electromagnetism. While individual line wavelengths are sensitive to $\alpha$, they are…

We study the observed small deviations of high-redshift absorption spectra that are interpreted as a possible evidence for a variable fine structure constant. On the contrary, we claim that the effect could be completely attributed to the…

From the analysis of the near-UV spectrum of the QSO 2206-199, obtained with a long series of exposures with STIS on the HST, we deduce a value (D/H) = (1.65 +/- 0.35) x 10(-5) (1 sigma error) for the abundance of deuterium in the z(abs) =…

We discuss how laboratory experiments can be used to place constraints on possible variations of the fine structure constant alpha in the observationally relevant redshift interval z ~= 0 - 5, within a rather general theoretical framework.…

Sun-like stars are a new probe of variations in the fine-structure constant, $\alpha$, via the solar twins approach: velocity separations of close pairs of absorption lines are compared between stars with very similar stellar parameters,…

We present the results from the optical component of a survey for damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs) towards radio-loud quasars. Our quasar sample is drawn from the Texas radio survey with the following primary selection criteria: z_em >…

By combining our UVES-VLT spectra of a sample of four damped Ly-alpha systems (DLAs) toward the quasars Q0100+13, Q1331+17, Q2231-00 and Q2343+12 with the existing HIRES-Keck spectra, we covered the total spectral range from 3150 to 10000 A…

We search for transient variations of the fine structure constant using data from a European network of fiber-linked optical atomic clocks. By searching for coherent variations in the recorded clock frequency comparisons across the network,…

We use high quality echelle spectra of 24 QSOs to provide a calibrated measurement of the total amount of Lyman-alpha forest absorption (DA) over the redshift range 2.2 < z < 3.2. Our measurement of DA excludes absorption from metal lines…

We use astrophysical and atomic clock tests of the stability of the fine-structure constant $\alpha$, together with Type Ia supernova and Hubble parameter data, to constrain the simplest class of dynamical dark energy models where the same…

(abridged) We present observations of the high-redshift QSO GB1759+7539 (z=3.05) obtained with HIRES on the Keck 10m telescope. The spectrum has a resolution of FWHM = 7 km/s, and a typical signal-to-noise ratio per 2 km/s pixel of ~25 in…

We present a reanalysis of the HeII Lyman alpha absorption towards the quasars HS1700+6416 and HE2347-4342 using new high S/N, optical observations. An alternative analysis method is applied, which fits the high quality, optical HI data…

We report Keck/ESI and VLT/UVES observations of three super-damped Lyman-alpha quasar absorbers with H I column densities log N(HI) >= 21.7 at redshifts z=2-2.5. All three absorbers show similar metallicities (-1.3 to -1.5 dex), and dust…

We calculate the dependence of atomic transition frequencies on the fine structure constant, $\alpha = e^2/\hbar c$, for some ions of Ti, Mn, Na, C, and O. The results of these calculations will be used in the search for variation of alpha…

We present redshift space two-point ($\xi$), three-point ($\zeta$) and reduced three-point (Q) correlations of Ly$\alpha$ absorbers (Voigt profile components having HI column density, $N_{\rm HI}>10^{13.5}$cm$^{-2}$) over three redshift…