New Limit on the Spatial and Temporal Variations of the Fine-Structure Constant Using High Redshifts of Quasar Spectra

摘要

Highly precise measurements on the light from distant quasars can served as a powerful tool to test the possible spatial and temporal variations of the fine-structure constant alpha = e (2) /c during the evolution of the Universe. Here we set a limit on the possible cosmological space-time variations of alpha by comparing transitions in the absorption lines of the SiIV doublet observed in the early Universe with those mesured in the laboratory. The weighted mean value of the alpha-variation derived from our analysis over the redshift range 2.0 a parts per thousand currency sign cpsa parts per thousand currency sign 3.7 is Delta alpha/alpha (-0.53 +/- 0.72) x10(-5). This result improves the constraint on Delta alpha/alpha by a factor of similar to seven compared to the published results in the literature.