Related papers: Limits on the Variability of Physical Constants

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…

[Abridged] We previously presented evidence for a varying fine-structure constant, alpha, in two independent samples of Keck/HIRES QSO spectra. Here we present a detailed many-multiplet analysis of a third Keck/HIRES sample containing 78…

We report the discovery of two damped Ly-alpha absorption-line systems (DLAs) near redshift z=1 along a single quasar sightline (Q1727+5302) with neutral hydrogen column densities of N(HI) = (1.45\pm0.15)\times10^{21} and…

To study the nature of low z Lya absorbers in the spectra of QSOs, we have obtained high signal-to-noise UV spectra of H 1821+643 (z = 0.297) and PG 1116+215 (z = 0.177) with the GHRS on the HST. The spectra have minimum S/N of 70-100 and 3…

Molecular hydrogen transitions in quasar spectra can be used to constrain variation in the proton-to-electron mass ratio, $\mu\equiv m_p/m_e$, at high redshifts ($z\gtrsim 2$). We present here an analysis of a new spectrum of the quasar…

Sensitivity of atomic transition frequencies to variation of the fine structure constant $\alpha=e^2/\hbar c$ increases proportional to $Z^2$ where $Z$ is the nuclear charge. Recently several lines of heavy ions Ge II, Sn II and Pb II have…

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 have searched for redshifted neutral hydrogen 21cm absorption toward sources from the Stickel et al. `red quasar' sub-sample. Five of these red quasars have been searched for redshifted HI 21cm absorption to optical depth levels of a few…

We have searched for HI 21cm absorption toward the two brightest radio AGN at high redshift, J0924--2201 at $z = 5.20$, and J0913+5919 at $z=5.11$, using the Giant Meter Wave Radio Telescope (GMRT). These data set a 3$\sigma$ upper limit to…

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…

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…

The quantum nature of gravity remains one of the greatest mysteries of modern physics, with many unified theories predicting variations in fundamental constants across space and time. Here we present precise measurements of these variations…

Sensitivity of the frequencies of twenty two atomic transitions to the variation of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ is calculated. The findings are to be used in search for possible variation of $\alpha$ across our Galaxy using high…

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…

Measuring rest-frame ultraviolet rotational transitions from the Lyman and Werner bands in absorption against a bright background continuum is one of the few ways to directly measure molecular hydrogen (H2). Here we report the detection of…

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…

WSRT observations have provided a first inventory of the incidence of HI 21 cm line absorption associated with AGN at redshifts up to z=1.0. There is a large range in line depths, from tau=0.44 to tau less than 0.001, and a substantial…

It is possible that fundamental constants may not be constant at all. There is a generally accepted view that one can only talk about variations of dimensionless quantities, such as the fine structure constant $\alpha_{\rm e}\equiv…

Damped Lyman-alpha absorbers are believed to be associated with galactic disks. We show that gravitational lensing can therefore affect the statistics of these systems. First, the magnification bias due to lensing raises faint QSOs above a…

Wavelengths of absorption lines in the spectra of galaxies along the line-of-sight to distant quasars can be used to probe the variablility of the fine structure constant, $\alpha$, at high redshifts, provided that the laboratory…