Varying Constants

Abstract

We review properties of theories for the variation of the gravitation and fine structure 'constants'. We highlight some general features of the cosmological models that exist in these theories with reference to recent quasar data that are consistent with time-variation in the fine structure 'constant' since a redshift of 3.5. The behaviour of a simple class of varying-alpha cosmologies is outlined in the light of all the observational constraints.

16 pages, no figures. Talk delivered at the Royal Society Discussion Meeting on 'The Fundamental Constants of Physics, Precision Measurements and the Base Units of SI', London, Feb. 14-15 (2005)

References in corpus (7)

• New BBN limits on Physics Beyond the Standard Model from He4
• Bouncing Universes with Varying Constants
• Quintessence Models and the Cosmological Evolution of alpha
• A Laboratory for Constraining Cosmic Evolution of the Fine Structure Constant: Conjugate 18 cm OH Lines Toward PKS 1413+135 at z=0.2467
• Cosmological Bounds on Spatial Variations of Physical Constants
• Linearized Bekenstein Varying Alpha Models
• Varying Couplings in Electroweak Theory

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