Related papers: Time Variation of the Fine Structure Constant Driv…
We start with a brief account of the latest analysis of the Oklo phenomenon providing the still most stringent constraint on time-variability of the fine- structure constant $\alpha$. Comparing this with the recent result from the…
Theories unifying gravity with other interactions suggest spatial and temporal variation of fundamental "constants" in the Universe. A change in the fine structure constant, alpha, could be detected via shifts in the frequencies of atomic…
Recent observations on the quasar absorption spectra supply evidence for the variation of the fine structure constant $\alpha$. In this paper, we propose another interpretation of the observational data on the quasar absorption spectra: a…
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,…
Theories unifying gravity with other interactions suggest spatial and temporal variation of fundamental ``constants'' in the Universe. A change in the fine structure constant, alpha, could be detected via shifts in the frequencies of atomic…
We work with a class of scalar extended theory of gravity that can drive the present cosmic acceleration as well as accommodate a mild cosmic variation of the fine structure constant $\alpha$. The motivation comes from a vintage theory…
An attempt is made for a new type of analysis of the time-variability of the fine-structure constant trying to fit the most recent result from the laboratory measurements, the Oklo constraint and the data from the QSO absorption lines all…
Recent experimental data indicates that the fine structure constant alpha may be varying on cosmological time scales. We consider the possibility that such a variation could be induced by a second order phase transition which occurs at late…
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…
We explore the possibility that the reported time variation of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ is due to a coupling between electromagnetism and gravitation. This may reconcile the claimed results on $\alpha$ with the upper limit from…
We explore a possible time variation of the fine structure constant ($\alpha \equiv e^2/\hbar c$) using the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect measurements of galaxy clusters along with their X-ray observations. Specifically, the ratio of the…
We present a review of recent works devoted to the variation of the fine structure constant alpha, strong interaction and fundamental masses. There are some hints for the variation in quasar absorption spectra, Big Bang nucleosynthesis, and…
Within the context of mass-varying neutrinos, we construct a cosmological model that has a phase transition in the electromagnetic fine structure constant \alpha at a redshift of 0.5. The model accommodates hints of a time variable \alpha…
It has been pointed out by Shlyakhter that data from the natural fission reactors which operated about two billion years ago at Oklo (Gabon) had the potential of providing an extremely tight bound on the variability of the fine-structure…
We review properties of cosmological theories for the variation of the fine structure 'constant'. We highlight some general features of the cosmological models that exist in these theories with reference to recent quasar data that are…
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…
Attempts to measure the variability of the fine structure constant alpha over cosmological time, using spectra of high redshift quasars have produced conflicting results. We use the Many Multiplet (MM) method with Mg II and Fe II lines on…
The Oklo phenomenon, natural fission reactors which had taken place in Gabon about 2 billion years ago, provides one of the most stringent constraints on the possible time-variability of the fine-structure constant $\alpha$. We first review…
Strong evidence has recently emerged for a variation in the fine structure constant, $\alpha\equiv e^2/\hbar c$, over the history of the Universe. This was concluded from a detailed study of the relative positions of redshifted optical…
I briefly present some current theoretical motivations for time or space variations of the fundamental constants of nature and review current key observational results. I focus on the fine-structure constant, and particularly on…