Time variation of the fine structure constant driven by quintessence

Quintessence and variation of the fine structure constant in the cosmic microwave background radiation

Time Evolution of the Fine Structure Constant

We present a short review of the current quasar (QSO) absorption line constraints on possible variation of the fine structure constant, α ≡ e 2 /¯ hc. Particular attention is paid to recent optical Keck/HIRES spectra of 49 absorption systems which indicate a smaller α in the past [1, 2]. Here we present new preliminary results from 128 absorption systems: ∆α/α = (−0.57 ± 0.10) × 10 −5 over the ...

Evolution of the Fine Structure Constant Driven by Dark Matter and the Cosmological Constant

Bekenstein’s model of a scalar field, φ, that affects the electromagnetic permeability (usually identified with “changing α”) predicts tiny variations of the effective fine structure constant up to very high red-shifts, |α(z = 3.5)/α0− 1| < 10, when the constraints from Eötvös-Dicke-Braginsky types of experiments are imposed. We generalize this model by allowing additional couplings of φ to bot...

On the cosmological variation of the fine structure constant

A phenomenological model is proposed to explain the recent observed cosmological variation of the fine structure constant as an effect of the quantum vacuum, assuming a flat universe with cosmological constant Λ in the cases (ΩM ,ΩΛ) equal to (0.3, 0.7) and (1, 0). Because of the fourth Heisenberg relation, the lifetime of the virtual pairs of the zero-point radiation must depend on the gravita...

Indications of a spatial variation of the fine structure constant.

We previously reported Keck telescope observations suggesting a smaller value of the fine structure constant α at high redshift. New Very Large Telescope (VLT) data, probing a different direction in the Universe, shows an inverse evolution; α increases at high redshift. Although the pattern could be due to as yet undetected systematic effects, with the systematics as presently understood the co...