Possible link between the changing fine-structure constant and the accelerating universe via scalar-tensor theory

Abstract

In 1976, Shlyakhter showed that the Sm data from Oklo results in the upper bound on the time-variability of the fine-structure constant: $|\dotα/α| \lsim 10^{-17}{\rm y}^{-1}$, which has ever been the most stringent bound. Since the details have never been published, however, we recently re-analyzed the latest data according to Shlyakhter's recipe. We nearly re-confirmed his result. To be more precise, however, the Sm data gives either an upper-bound or an "evidence" for a changing $\alpha$: $\dot{\alpha }/\alpha =-(0.44\pm 0.04)\times 10^{-16}{\mathrm{y}}^{-1}$. A remark is made to a similar re-analysis due to Damour and Dyson. We also compare our result with a recent "evidence" due to Webb et al, obtained from distant QSO's. We point out a possible connection between this time-dependence and the behavior of a scalar field supposed to be responsible for the acceleration of the universe, also revealed recently.

13 pages including 3 figures; delivered at First Int ASTROD School and Symposium, Sep 13-23, 2001, Beijing, to appear in Int. J. Modern Phys. D, as part of Proceedings. Minor changes in the references

References in corpus (1)

• Further Evidence for Cosmological Evolution of the Fine Structure Constant

Cited by in corpus (7)

• The fundamental constants and their variation: observational status and theoretical motivations
• Testing the time dependence of the fundamental constants in the spectra of multicharged ions
• Possible variations of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ and their metrological significance
• Time-variability of the fine-structure constant expected from the Oklo constraint and the QSO absorption lines
• $\Delta \alpha /\alpha$ from QSO absorption lines driven by an oscillating scalar field
• Constraints on Field Theoretical Models for Variation of the Fine Structure Constant
• Varying Fine Structure Constant and Black Hole Physics