Is it e or is it c? Experimental tests of varying alpha
Description
Is the recent evidence for a time-varying fine structure 'constant' α to be interpreted as a varying e, c, ℎ, or a combination thereof? We consider the simplest varying electric charge and varying speed of light (VSL) theories and prove that for the same type of dark matter they predict opposite senses of variation in α over cosmological times. We also show that unlike varying e theories, VSL theories do not predict violations of the weak equivalence principle (WEP). Varying e theories which explain astronomical inferences of varying α predict WEP violations only an order of magnitude smaller than existing Eoetvoes experiment limits but could be decisively tested by STEP. We finally exhibit a set of atomic-clock and related experiments for which all (hyperbolic) varying α theories predict non-null results. They provide independent tests of the recent astronomical evidence
Additional details
Identifiers
- PII
- S0370269302029283;
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Physics Letters. Section B
- Journal Volume
- 549
- Journal Issue
- 3-4
- Journal Page Range
- p. 284-289
- ISSN
- 0370-2693
- CODEN
- PYLBAJ
INIS
- Country of Publication
- Netherlands
- Country of Input or Organization
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- INIS RN
- 37072672
- Subject category
- S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
- Descriptors DEI
- ELECTRIC CHARGES; EQUIVALENCE PRINCIPLE; NONLUMINOUS MATTER; VELOCITY; VIOLATIONS; VISIBLE RADIATION
- Descriptors DEC
- ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; MATTER; RADIATIONS
Optional Information
- Copyright
- Copyright (c) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.