No Arabic abstract
In order to probe a possible time variation of the fine-structure constant ($alpha$), we propose a new method based on Strong Gravitational Lensing and Type Ia Supernovae observations. By considering a class of dilaton runaway models, where $frac{Delta alpha}{alpha}= - gamma ln{(1+z)}$, we obtain constraints on $frac{Delta alpha}{alpha}$ at the level $gamma approx 10^{-2}$ ($gamma$ captures the physical properties of the model). Since the data set covers the redshift range $0.075 leq z leq 2.2649$, the constraints derived here provide independent bounds on a possible time variation of $alpha$ at low, intermediate and high redshifts.
We explore a possible time variation of the fine structure constant ($alpha equiv e^2/hbar c$) using the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect measurements of galaxy clusters along with their X-ray observations. Specifically, the ratio of the integrated Compto-ionization parameter $Y_{SZ}D_A^2$ and its X-ray counterpart $Y_X$ is used as an observable to constrain the bounds on the variation of $alpha$. Considering the violation of cosmic distance duality relation, this ratio depends on the fine structure constant as $sim alpha^3$. We use the quintessence model to provide the origin of $alpha$ time variation. In order to give a robust test on $alpha$ variation, two galaxy cluster samples, the 61 clusters provided by the Planck collaboration and the 58 clusters detected by the South Pole Telescope, are collected for analysis. Their X-ray observations are given by the XMM-Newton survey. Our results give $zeta=-0.203^{+0.101}_{-0.099}$ for the Planck sample and $zeta=-0.043^{+0.165}_{-0.148}$ for the SPT sample, indicating that $alpha$ is constant with redshift within $3sigma$ and $1sigma$ for the two samples, respectively.
We present a new calibration of the peak absolute magnitude of SNe Type Ia based on the Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF) method, aimed at measuring the value of the Hubble constant. We build a sample of calibrating anchors consisting of 24 SNe hosted in galaxies having SBF distance measurements. Applying a hierarchical Bayesian approach, we calibrate the SNe luminosity and extend it into the Hubble flow by using a sample of 96 SNe Ia in the redshift range $0.02 < z < 0.075$, extracted from the Combined Pantheon Sample. We estimate a value of $H_0 = 70.50 pm 2.37(stat) pm 3.38(sys)$ $text{km} text{s}^{-1} text{Mpc}^{-1}$ (i.e. $3.4% stat, 4.8% sys$), which is in agreement with the value obtained using the tip of the red giant branch calibration, and consistent within the errors with the value obtained from SNe Type Ia calibrated with Cepheids and the one inferred from the analysis of the cosmic microwave background. We find that the SNe Ia distance moduli calibrated with SBF are on average larger by 0.07 mag than the ones calibrated with Cepheids. Our results point to possible differences among SNe in different types of galaxies, which could originate from different local environments and/or SNe Ia progenitor properties. Sampling different host galaxy type, SBF offers a complementary approach to Cepheids which is important in addressing possible systematics. As the SBF method has the ability to reach larger distances than Cepheids, the impending entry of LSST and JWST into operation will increase the number of SNe Ia hosted in galaxies where SBF distances can be measured, making SBF measurements attractive for improving the calibration of SNe Ia, and in the estimation of $H_0$.
We propose a new method to probe for variations in the fine structure constant alpha using clusters of galaxies, opening up a window on a new redshift range for such constraints. Hot clusters shine in the X-ray mainly due to bremsstrahlung, while they leave an imprint on the CMB frequency spectrum through the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect. These two physical processes can be characterized by the integrated Comptonization parameter Y_SZ DA^2 and its X-ray counterpart, the Y_X parameter. The ratio of these two quantities is expected to be constant from numerical simulations and current observations. We show that this fact can be exploited to constrain alpha, as the ratio of the two parameters depends on the fine structure constant as alpha^{3.5}. We determine current constraints from a combination of Planck SZ and XMM-Newton data, testing different models of variation of alpha. When fitting for a constant value of alpha, we find that current constraints are at the 1% level, comparable with current CMB constraints. We discuss strategies for further improving these constraints by almost an order of magnitude.
We use multi-wavelength, matched aperture, integrated photometry from GALEX, SDSS and the RC3 to estimate the physical properties of 166 nearby galaxies hosting 168 well-observed Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Our data corroborate well-known features that have been seen in other SN Ia samples. Specifically, hosts with active star formation produce brighter and slower SNe Ia on average, and hosts with luminosity-weighted ages older than 1 Gyr produce on average more faint, fast and fewer bright, slow SNe Ia than younger hosts. New results include that in our sample, the faintest and fastest SNe Ia occur only in galaxies exceeding a stellar mass threshhold of ~10^10 M_sun, indicating that their progenitors must arise in populations that are older and/or more metal rich than the general SN Ia population. A low host extinction sub-sample hints at a residual trend in peak luminosity with host age, after correcting for light-curve shape, giving the appearance that older hosts produce less-extincted SNe Ia on average. This has implications for cosmological fitting of SNe Ia and suggests that host age could be useful as a parameter in the fitting. Converting host mass to metallicity and computing 56Ni mass from the supernova light curves, we find that our local sample is consistent with a model that predicts a shallow trend between stellar metallicity and the 56Ni mass that powers the explosion, but we cannot rule out the absence of a trend. We measure a correlation between 56Ni mass and host age in the local universe that is shallower and not as significant as that seen at higher redshifts. The details of the age -- 56Ni mass correlations at low and higher redshift imply a luminosity-weighted age threshhold of ~3 Gyr for SN Ia hosts, above which they are less likely to produce SNe Ia with 56Ni masses above ~0.5 M_sun. (Abridged)
We study a theory in which the electromagnetic field is disformally coupled to a scalar field, in addition to a usual non-minimal electromagnetic coupling. We show that disformal couplings modify the expression for the fine-structure constant, alpha. As a result, the theory we consider can explain the non-zero reported variation in the evolution of alpha by purely considering disformal couplings. We also find that if matter and photons are coupled in the same way to the scalar field, disformal couplings itself do not lead to a variation of the fine-structure constant. A number of scenarios are discussed consistent with the current astrophysical, geochemical, laboratory and the cosmic microwave background radiation constraints on the cosmological evolution of alpha. The models presented are also consistent with the current type Ia supernovae constraints on the effective dark energy equation of state. We find that the Oklo bound in particular puts strong constraints on the model parameters. From our numerical results, we find that the introduction of a non-minimal electromagnetic coupling enhances the cosmological variation in alpha. Better constrained data is expected to be reported by ALMA and with the forthcoming generation of high-resolution ultra-stable spectrographs such as PEPSI, ESPRESSO, and ELT-HIRES. Furthermore, an expected increase in the sensitivity of molecular and nuclear clocks will put a more stringent constraint on current laboratory measurements.