A new constraint on cosmological variability of the proton-to-electron mass ratio

Preprint
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
  • 12 June 2001
Abstract
Kaluza-Klein theories and multidimensional cosmological models predict variability of the fundamental physical constants over the cosmic time. Using the VLT/UVES high resolution spectra of the quasar Q0347-3819 and numerous electronic-vibrational-rotational lines of the H2 molecule identified at zabs = 3.025 we test possible changes in the proton-to-electron mass ratio mu_0 = m_p/m_e over the period of 11 Gyr. We obtained a new unbiased constraint to the time-averaged variation rate of mu_0 of |\dot{mu}/mu_0| < 3 10^{-14} yr^{-1} (2 sigma c.l.). The estimated 1 sigma uncertainty interval of the |\Delta mu/mu_0| ratio of 0.015 % implies that since the time when the H2 spectrum was formed at zabs = 3.025, mu_0 has not changed by more than a few hundredths of a percent.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: