We present high resolution optical spectra obtained with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and 21-cm absorption spectra obtained with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) and the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) of five quasars along the line of sight of which 21-cm absorption systems at 1.17 < z < 1.56 have been detected previously. We also present milliarcsec scale radio images of these quasars obtained with the Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA). We use the data on four of these systems to constrain the time variation of x = g_p*alpha^2/mu where g_p is the proton gyromagnetic factor, alpha is the fine structure constant, and mu is the proton-to-electron mass ratio. We carefully evaluate the systematic uncertainties in redshift measurements using cross-correlation analysis and repeated Voigt profile fitting. In two cases we also confirm our results by analysing optical spectra obtained with the Keck telescope. We find the weighted and the simple means of Delta_x / x to be respectively -(0.1 +/- 1.3)x10^-6 and (0.0 +/- 1.5)x10^-6 at the mean redshift of <z> = 1.36 corresponding to a look back time of ~ 9 Gyr. This is the most stringent constraint ever obtained on Delta_x / x. If we only use the two systems towards quasars unresolved at milliarcsec scales, we get the simple mean of Delta_x / x = + (0.2 +/- 1.6)x10^-6. Assuming constancy of other constants we get Delta_alpha / alpha = (0.0 +/- 0.8)x10^-6 which is a factor of two better than the best constraints obtained so far using the Many Multiplet Method. On the other hand assuming alpha and g_p have not varied we derive Delta_mmu / mu = (0.0 +/- 1.5)x10^-6 which is again the best limit ever obtained on the variation of mu over this redshift range. [Abridged]
Constraining the Variation in Fine-Structure Constant Using SDSS DR8 QSO Spectra
我们报告了对精细结构常数α = e^2/（hbar*c）的可能变化的一个强有力的限制，α = e^2/（hbar*c）是用O III 4959，5007类星体的星云发射线得到的。我们发现Δ-α/α =-（2.1 +/- 1.6）x 10^（-5）是基于斯隆数字巡天数据第8版中精心挑选的2347个类星体样本，其中0.02 < z < 0.74。我们的结果与在大约7 Gyr的2 x 10^（-5）水平上的不变α相一致。这是迄今为止用于限制阿尔法变化的河外天体的最大样本。虽然这种约束不像使用多重峰方法确定的约束那样严格，但它不受各种系统效应的影响。与之前的研究（Bahcall et al. 2004）相比，此处实现的Δ-α/α改善约为4倍，这与基于此处使用的14倍大样本的预期一致。这表明误差主要由统计不确定性决定。我们还发现对应于O III 5007 A和4959 A谱线的跃迁几率比为2.933+/-0.002，与美国国家标准与技术研究所的测量结果非常一致。
Pulsar Timing Arrays (PTAs) are exceptionally sensitive detectors in the frequency band $\text{nHz} \lesssim f \lesssim μ\text{Hz}$. Ultralight dark matter (ULDM), with mass in the range $10^{-23}\,\text{eV} \lesssim m_ϕ\lesssim 10^{-20}\,\text{eV}$, is one class of DM models known to generate signals in this frequency window. While purely gravitational signatures of ULDM have been studied previously, in this work we consider two signals in PTAs which arise in presence of direct couplings between ULDM and ordinary matter. These couplings induce variations in fundamental constants, i.e., partic…
Ultra-light dark matter may consist of axion-like particles with masses below 10^(-19) eV. Two-photon interactions of these particles affect the polarization of radiation propagating through the dark matter. Coherent oscillations of the Bose condensate of the particles induce periodic changes in the plane of polarisation of emission passing through the condensate. We estimate this effect and analyze MOJAVE VLBA polarization observations of bright downstream features in the parsec-scale jets of active galaxies. Through the non-observation of periodic polarization changes, we are able to constra…
We determine the conditions for which the constraints from lunar laser ranging on the time evolution of the local gravitational constant can be extrapolated to impose constraints on the time evolution of the cosmological gravitational constant in scalar-tensor theories of modified gravity. We allow for the possibility that the scalar-tensor theories are non-linear and contain a screening mechanism. This results in strong constraints on the running of the cosmological Planck mass described by the Horndeski function $|α_M|\lesssim 0.002$. We find that our assumptions are valid for most Vainshtei…
SNe Ia continue to play a key role in cosmological measurements. Their interpretation over a range in redshift requires a rest-frame spectral energy distribution model. For practicality, these models are parameterized with a limited number of parameters and are trained using linear or nonlinear dimensionality reduction. This work focuses on the related problem of estimating the number of parameters underlying SN Ia spectral variation (the dimensionality). I present a technique for using the properties of high-dimensional space and the counting statistics of "twin" SNe Ia to estimate this dimen…
The possible time variation of the fundamental constants of nature has been an active subject of research since the large-number hypothesis was proposed by Dirac. In this paper, we propose a new method to investigate a possible time variation of the speed of light ($c$) along with the fine-structure constant ($α$) using Strong Gravitational Lensing (SGL) and Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) observations. We assume a general approach to describe the mass distribution of lens-type galaxies, the one in favor of the power-law index model (PLAW). We also consider the runaway dilaton model to describe a …
The intrinsic peak luminosity of Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) depends on the value of Newton's gravitational constant $G$, through the Chandrasekhar mass $M_{\rm Ch}\propto G^{-3/2}$. If the luminosity distance can be independently determined, the SNIa can be treated as a tracker to constrain the possible time variation of $G$ in different redshift ranges. The gravitational-wave (GW) standard sirens, caused by the coalescence of binary neutron stars, provide a model-independent way to measure the distance of GW events, which can be used to determine the luminosity distances of SNIa by interpolati…
Equations governing the evolution of a star involve multiple coupling constants. Thus, the time it spends as a main-sequence star can be expected to depend on whether or not such constants vary over the time scale of stellar evolution. When the star belongs to a globular cluster, the star's age cannot exceed that of the globular cluster, and the latter cannot exceed the age of the Universe. This fact can be used to constrain or verify the variation of the coupling constants, i.e., the speed of light c, the gravitational constant G, the Planck constant h, and the Boltzmann constant k. We have e…
Dirac, in 1937 proposed the variation of coupling constants derived from his large number hypothesis. Efforts have continued since then to constrain their variation by various methods. We briefly discuss several methods used for the purpose while focusing primarily on the use of supernovae type 1a, quasars, and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as cosmological probes for determining cosmological distances. Supernovae type Ia (SNeIa) are considered the best standard candles since their intrinsic luminosity can be determined precisely from their light curves. However, they have only been observed up to ab…
Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are powerful tools for measuring the expansion history of the universe, but the impact of dust around SNe Ia remains unknown and is a critical systematic uncertainty. One way to improve our empirical description of dust is to analyse highly reddened SNe Ia ($E(B-V)>0.4$, roughly equivalent to the fitted SALT2 light-curve parameter $c>0.3$). With the recently released Pantheon+ sample, there are 57 SNe Ia that were removed because of their high colour alone (with colours up to $c=1.61$), which can provide enormous leverage on understanding line-of-sight $R_V$. Previo…
In this work, we present new calculations of the observables associated with synthetic metal and HI absorption lines in the spectra of high redshift quasars, inspired by questions and limitations raised in work with a uniform Haardt-Madau 2012 ultraviolet background (UVB). We introduce variations at $z \sim$ 6 to the UVB and HI self--shielding and explore the sensitivity of the absorption features to modifications of the hardness of the UVB. We find that observed SiIV and low ionization states (e.g. CII, SiII, OI) are well represented by a soft UV ionizing field at $z =$ 6 but, this same presc…
