Constraints on changes in fundamental constants from a cosmologically distant OH absorber or emitter

被引:99
作者
Kanekar, N [1 ]
Carilli, CL
Langston, GI
Rocha, G
Combes, F
Subrahmanyan, R
Stocke, JT
Menten, KM
Briggs, FH
Wiklind, T
机构
[1] Natl Radio Astron Observ, Socorro, NM 87801 USA
[2] Univ Cambridge, Cavendish Lab, Cambridge CB3 0HE, England
[3] Observ Paris, F-75014 Paris, France
[4] Univ Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
[5] Max Planck Inst Radioastron, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
[6] Australian Natl Univ, Weston, ACT 2611, Australia
[7] Space Telescope Sci Inst, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
关键词
D O I
10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.261301
中图分类号
O4 [物理学];
学科分类号
0702 ;
摘要
We have detected the four 18 cm OH lines from the z similar to 0.765 gravitational lens toward PMN J0134-0931. The 1612 and 1720 MHz lines are in conjugate absorption and emission, providing a laboratory to test the evolution of fundamental constants over a large lookback time. We compare the HI and OH main line absorption redshifts of the different components in the z similar to 0.765 absorber and the z similar to 0.685 lens toward B0218+357 to place stringent constraints on changes in F equivalent to g(p)[alpha(2)/mu](1.57). We obtain [Delta F/F]=(0.44 +/- 0.36(stat)+/- 1.0(syst))x10(-5), consistent with no evolution over the redshift range 0 < z less than or similar to 0.7. The measurements have a 2 sigma sensitivity of [Delta alpha/alpha]< 6.7x10(-6) or [Delta mu/mu]< 1.4x10(-5) to fractional changes in alpha and mu over a period of similar to 6.5 G yr, half the age of the Universe. These are among the most sensitive constraints on changes in mu.
引用
收藏
页数:4
相关论文
共 20 条
[1]   IRAS 14070+0525 - AN OH GIGAMASER AT Z = 0.265 [J].
BAAN, WA ;
RHOADS, J ;
FISHER, K ;
ALTSCHULER, DR ;
HASCHICK, A .
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 1992, 396 (02) :L99-L102
[2]   Astronomical constraints on the cosmic evolution of the fine structure constant and possible quantum dimensions [J].
Carilli, CL ;
Menten, KM ;
Stocke, JT ;
Perlman, E ;
Vermeulen, R ;
Briggs, F ;
de Bruyn, AG ;
Conway, J ;
Moore, CP .
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 2000, 85 (26) :5511-5514
[3]   Constraining the variation of fundamental constants using 18 cm OH lines [J].
Chengalur, JN ;
Kanekar, N .
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 2003, 91 (24)
[4]   The Oklo bound on the time variation of the fine-structure constant revisited [J].
Damour, T ;
Dyson, F .
NUCLEAR PHYSICS B, 1996, 480 (1-2) :37-54
[5]   A laboratory for constraining cosmic evolution of the fine-structure constant:: Conjugate 18 centimeter OH lines toward PKS 1413+135 at z=0.24671 [J].
Darling, J .
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 2004, 612 (01) :58-63
[6]   Methods for constraining fine structure constant evolution with OH microwave transitions [J].
Darling, J .
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 2003, 91 (01) :1-011301
[7]   New limits on the possible variation of physical constants [J].
Drinkwater, MJ ;
Webb, JK ;
Barrow, JD ;
Flambaum, VV .
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 1998, 295 (02) :457-462
[8]   A new constraint on the time dependence of the proton-to-electron mass ratio -: Analysis of the Q 0347-383 and Q 0405-443 spectra [J].
Ivanchik, A ;
Petitjean, P ;
Varshalovich, D ;
Aracil, B ;
Srianand, R ;
Chand, H ;
Ledoux, C ;
Boissé, P .
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, 2005, 440 (01) :45-52
[9]   Conjugate 18 cm OH satellite lines at a cosmological distance [J].
Kanekar, N ;
Chengalur, JN ;
Ghosh, T .
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 2004, 93 (05)
[10]   HI absorption in a gravitational lens at z ∼ 0.7645 [J].
Kanekar, N ;
Briggs, FH .
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, 2003, 412 (02) :L29-L32