Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 121302 (2004) [4 pages]Limits on the Time Variation of the Electromagnetic Fine-Structure Constant in the Low Energy Limit from Absorption Lines in the Spectra of Distant QuasarsSee Also: Editorial Note
See accompanying Physics Focus We present the results of a detailed many-multiplet analysis performed on a new sample of Mg ii systems observed in high quality quasar spectra obtained using the Very Large Telescope. The weighted mean value of the variation in α derived from our analysis over the redshift range 0.4≤z≤2.3 is Δα/α=(-0.06±0.06)×10-5. The median redshift of our sample (z≃1.55) corresponds to a look-back time of 9.7 Gyr in the most favored cosmological model today. This gives a 3σ limit, -2.5×10-16≤(Δα/αΔt)≤+1.2×10-16 yr-1, for the time variation of α, that forms the strongest constraint obtained based on high redshift quasar absorption line systems. © 2004 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.121302
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.121302
PACS:
98.80.Es, 06.20.Jr, 98.62.Ra
See AlsoComment: M. T. Murphy, J. K. Webb, and V. V. Flambaum, Comment on “Limits on the Time Variation of the Electromagnetic Fine-Structure Constant in the Low Energy Limit from Absorption Lines in the Spectra of Distant Quasars”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 239001 (2007). Reply: R. Srianand, H. Chand, P. Petitjean, and B. Aracil, Srianand et al. Reply:, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 239002 (2007). Editorial Note: R. Srianand, H. Chand, P. Petitjean, and B. Aracil, Editorial Note: Srianand et al. Reply [Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 239002 (2007)], Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 029902 (2008). |
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