Cosmology with Varying Constants

Abstract

The idea of possible time or space variations of the `fundamental' constants of nature, although not new, is only now beginning to be actively considered by large numbers of researchers in the particle physics, cosmology and astrophysics communities. This revival is mostly due to the claims of possible detection of such variations, in various different contexts and by several groups. Here, I present the current theoretical motivations and expectations for such variations, review the current observational status, and discuss the impact of a possible confirmation of these results in our views of cosmology and physics as a whole.

14 pages, no figures. Essay to appear in Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. A Triennial Series (Christmas 2002 Issue)

References in corpus (10)

• Further Evidence for Cosmological Evolution of the Fine Structure Constant
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• Early-universe constraints on a time-varying fine structure constant
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• Measuring $\alpha$ in the Early Universe: CMB Temperature, Large-Scale Structure and Fisher Matrix Analysis
• Constraints on the long-range properties of gravity from weak gravitational lensing
• Constraints on Omega_B from the nucleosynthesis of 7Li in the standard Big Bang
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Cited by in corpus (18)

• The fundamental constants and their variation: observational status and theoretical motivations
• New varying speed of light theories
• Measuring $\alpha$ in the Early Universe: CMB Polarization, Reionization and the Fisher Matrix Analysis
• WMAP Constraints on varying $\alpha$ and the Promise of Reionization
• Constraints on the CMB Temperature Evolution using Multi-Band Measurements of the Sunyaev Zel'dovich Effect with the South Pole Telescope
• Constraints on the CMB temperature redshift dependence from SZ and distance measurements
• Variation of fundamental parameters and dark energy. A principal component approach
• Linearized Bekenstein Varying Alpha Models
• New constraints on varying $\alpha$
• Dark Energy Models With Variable Equation Of State Parameter
• A stellar test of the physics of unification
• Constraints on extended Bekenstein models from cosmological, astrophysical, and local data
• Cosmic strings in Bekenstein-type models
• Scenario of Accelerating Universe from the Phenomenological Λ- Models
• Notes on several phenomenological laws of quantum gravity
• Is Quintessence an Indication of a Time-Varying Gravitational Constant?
• A reciprocal Wald theorem for varying gravitational function
• Astrophysical Probes of Fundamental Physics