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Register a new userLimits on the dependence of the fine-structure constant on gravitational potential from white-dwarf spectra
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We propose a new probe of the dependence of the fine structure constant, alpha, on a strong gravitational field using metal lines in the spectra of white dwarf stars. Comparison of laboratory spectra with far-UV astronomical spectra from the white dwarf star G191-B2B recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph gives limits on the fractional variation of alpha of (Delta alpha/alpha)=(4.2 +- 1.6)x10^(-5) and (-6.1 +- 5.8)x10^(-5) from Fe V and Ni V spectra, respectively, at a dimensionless gravitational potential relative to Earth of (Delta phi) ~ 5x10^(-5). With better determinations of the laboratory wavelengths of the lines employed these results could be improved by up to two orders of magnitude.
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White dwarf atmospheres are subjected to gravitational potentials around $10^5$ times larger than occur on Earth. They provide a unique environment in which to search for any possible variation in fundamental physics in the presence of strong gravitational fields. However, a sufficiently strong magnetic field will alter absorption line profiles and introduce additional uncertainties in measurements of the fine structure constant. Estimating the magnetic field strength is thus essential in this context. Here we model the absorption profiles of a large number of atomic transitions in the white dwarf photosphere, including first-order Zeeman effects in the line profiles, varying the magnetic field as a free parameter. We apply the method to a high signal-to-noise, high-resolution, far-ultraviolet HST/STIS spectrum of the white dwarf G191-B2B. The method yields a sensitive upper limit on its magnetic field of $B < 2300$ Gauss at the $3sigma$ level. Using this upper limit we find that the potential impact of quadratic Zeeman shifts on measurements of the fine structure constant in G191-B2B is 4 orders of magnitude below laboratory wavelength uncertainties.
Various classes of exotic singularity models have been studied as possible mimic models for the observed recent acceleration of the universe. Here we further study one of these classes and, under the assumption that they are phenomenological toy models for the behavior of an underlying scalar field which also couples to the electromagnetic sector of the theory, obtain the corresponding behavior of the fine-structure constant $alpha$ for particular choices of model parameters that have been previously shown to be in reasonable agreement with cosmological observations. We then compare this predicted behavior with available measurements of $alpha$, thus constraining this putative coupling to electromagnetism. We find that values of the coupling which would provide a good fit to spectroscopic measurements of $alpha$ are in more than three-sigma tension with local atomic clock bounds. Future measurements by ESPRESSO and ELT-HIRES will provide a definitive test of these models.
The gravitational potential phi = GM/Rc^2 at the surface of the white dwarf G191-B2B is 10,000 times stronger than that at the Earths surface. Numerous photospheric absorption features are detected, making this a suitable environment to test theories in which the fundamental constants depend on gravity. We have measured the fine structure constant, alpha, at the white dwarf surface, used a newly calibrated Hubble Space Telescope STIS spectrum of G191-B2B, two new independent sets of laboratory Fe V wavelengths, and new atomic calculations of the sensitivity parameters that quantify Fe V wavelength dependency on alpha. The two results obtained are: dalpha/alpha = 6.36 +/- [0.33(stat) + 1.94(sys)] X 10^{-5} and dalpha/alpha = 4.21 +/- [0.47(stat) + 2.35(sys)] X 10^{-5}. The measurements hint that the fine structure constant increases slightly in the presence of strong gravitational fields. A comprehensive search for systematic errors is summarised, including possible effects from line misidentifications, line blending, stratification of the white dwarf atmosphere, the quadratic Zeeman effect and electric field effects, photospheric velocity flows, long-range wavelength distortions in the HST spectrum, and variations in the relative Fe isotopic abundances. None fully account for the observed deviation but the systematic uncertainties are heavily dominated by laboratory wavelength measurement precision.
Radio-frequency E1 transitions between nearly degenerate, opposite parity levels of atomic dysprosium were monitored over an eight month period to search for a variation in the fine-structure constant. During this time period, data were taken at different points in the gravitational potential of the Sun. The data are fitted to the variation in the gravitational potential yielding a value of $(-8.7 pm 6.6) times 10^{-6}$ for the fit parameter $k_alpha$. This value gives the current best laboratory limit. In addition, our value of $k_{alpha}$ combined with other experimental constraints is used to extract the first limits on k_e and k_q. These coefficients characterize the variation of m_e/m_p and m_q/m_p in a changing gravitational potential, where m_e, m_p, and m_q are electron, proton, and quark masses. The results are $k_e = (4.9 pm 3.9) times 10^{-5}$ and $k_q = (6.6 pm 5.2) times 10^{-5}$.
Cosmological constraints on the scalar-tensor theory of gravity by analyzing the angular power spectrum data of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) obtained from the Planck 2015 results are presented. We consider the harmonic attractor model, in which the scalar field has a harmonic potential with curvature ($beta$) in the Einstein frame and the theory relaxes toward the Einstein gravity with time. Analyzing the {it TT}, {it EE}, {it TE} and lensing CMB data from Planck by the Markov chain Monte Carlo method, we find that the present-day deviation from the Einstein gravity (${alpha_0}^2$) is constrained as ${alpha_0}^2<2.5times10^{-4-4.5beta^2} (95.45% {rm C.L.})$ and ${alpha_0}^2<6.3times10^{-4-4.5beta^2} (99.99% {rm C.L.})$ for $0<beta<0.4$. The time variation of the effective gravitational constant between the recombination and the present epochs is constrained as $G_{rm rec}/G_0<1.0056 (95.45% {rm C.L.})$ and $G_{rm rec}/G_0<1.0115 (99.99 %{rm C.L.})$. We also find that the constraints are little affected by extending to nonflat cosmological models because the diffusion damping effect revealed by Planck breaks the degeneracy of the projection effect.
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