Does the Fine-Structure Constant Really Vary in Time? | Zendy

Mario Livio | Zendy; M. Stiavelli | Zendy

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Does the Fine-Structure Constant Really Vary in Time?

Author(s) -

Mario Livio,

M. Stiavelli

Publication year - 1998

Publication title -

the astrophysical journal

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 2.376

H-Index - 489

eISSN - 1538-4357

pISSN - 0004-637X

DOI - 10.1086/311664

Subject(s) - constant (computer programming) , limit (mathematics) , fine structure constant , redshift , variation (astronomy) , interval (graph theory) , variance (accounting) , physics , statistical physics , mathematics , astrophysics , combinatorics , mathematical analysis , computer science , quantum mechanics , economics , accounting , galaxy , programming language , electron

We discuss how laboratory experiments can be used to place constraints onpossible variations of the fine structure constant alpha in the observationallyrelevant redshift interval z ~= 0 - 5, within a rather general theoreticalframework. We find a worst case upper limit for Delta alpha / alpha of 8 x10^-6 for z <= 5 and Delta alpha / alpha of 0.9 x 10^-6 for z <= 1.6. Thederived limits are at variance with the recent findings by Webb et al. (1998),who claim an observed variation of Delta alpha/alpha = -2.6 +- 0.4 x 10^-5 at1

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