Related papers: CMB constraints on the fine structure constant
In many versions of brane model, the modulus field of extra dimensions, the radion, could have cosmological evolution, which induces variation of the Higgs vacuum expectation value, $<H>$, resulting in cosmological variation of the electron…
Low amplitude (linear regime) cosmic density fluctuations lead to spatial variations in the locally measurable value of $H_0$ (denoted as $H_L$), $\delta_H \equiv (H_L-H_0)/H_0$, which are of order 3-6% (95% confidence interval) in a sphere…
Recent work by Webb {\it et al.} has provided indications of spatial variations of the fine-structure constant, $\alpha$, at a level of a few parts per million. Using a dataset of 293 archival measurements, they further show that a dipole…
We present cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectra from recent numerical simulations of cosmic strings in the Abelian Higgs model and compare them to CMB power spectra measured by Planck. We obtain revised constraints on the cosmic…
In universes with significant curvature or cosmological constant, cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies are created very recently via the Rees-Sciama or integrated Sachs-Wolfe effects. This causes the CMB anisotropies to become…
Current observational bounds on dark energy depend on assumptions about the curvature of the universe. We present a simple and efficient method for incorporating constraints from CMB anisotropy data, and use it to derive constraints on…
Last year I talked at this meeting about a possible time dependence of the QCD coupling constant $\alpha_s$. This year I shall look into the problem once more, without fully repeating the arguments given last year. Astrophysical indications…
We use a combination of the most recent cosmic microwave background (CMB) flat -band power measurements to place constraints on Hubble's constant h and the total density of the Universe Omega_o in the context of inflation-based cold dark…
It is shown that a subelectronvolt upper limit can be derived on the neutrino mass from the CMB data alone in the Lambda CDM model with the power-law adiabatic perturbations, without the aid of any other cosmological data. Assuming the…
Spatial and temporal variations in the electron-to-proton mass ratio, mu, and in the fine-structure constant, alpha, are predicted in non-Standard models aimed to explain the nature of dark energy. Among them the so-called chameleon-like…
We use updated Hubble parameter and baryon acoustic oscillation data, as well as other lower-redshift Type Ia supernova, Mg II reverberation-measured quasar, quasar angular size, H II starburst galaxy, and Amati-correlated gamma-ray burst…
We put bounds on the variation of the value of the fine structure constant $\alpha$, at the time of Big Bang nucleosynthesis. We study carefully all light elements up to $^7$Li. We correct a previous upper limit on $|\Delta \alpha /…
The Planck experiment has measured the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) angular spectrum with unprecedented accuracy, and these results are likely to remain the state-of-the art for a decade or more. Since these measurements are going to…
Observations of the CMB today allow us to answer detailed questions about the properties of our Universe, targeting both standard and non-standard physics. In this paper, we study the effects of varying fundamental constants (i.e., the…
The Hubble Constant measured from the anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is shown to be independent of small changes from the standard model of the redshift dependence of dark energy. Modifications of the Friedmann equation…
We use the three-scale framework of Hu et al. to show how the Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropy spectrum depends on the fundamental constants. As expected, the spectrum depends only on \emph{dimensionless} combinations of the…
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…
We investigate the cosmological consequences of a simple theory in which the electric charge $e$ is allowed to vary. The theory is locally gauge and Lorentz invariant, and satisfies general covariance. We find that in this theory the fine…
We use cosmic microwave background (CMB) and large-scale structure data to constrain cosmological models where the primordial perturbations have both an adiabatic and a cold dark matter (CDM) isocurvature component. We allow for a possible…
We describe the results of a search for time variability of the fine structure constant, alpha, using absorption systems in the spectra of distant quasars. Three large optical datasets and two 21cm/mm absorption systems provide four…