Limits on the dependence of the fine-structure constant on gravitational potential from white-dwarf spectra
Berengut, J. C. and Flambaum, V. V. and Ong, A. and Webb, J. K. and Barrow, John D. and Barstow, M. A. and Preval, S. P. and Holberg, J. B. (2013) Limits on the dependence of the fine-structure constant on gravitational potential from white-dwarf spectra. Physical Review Letters, 111 (1). 010801. ISSN 1079-7114 (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.010801)
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We propose a new probe of the dependence of the fine-structure constant α on a strong gravitational field using metal lines in the spectra of white-dwarf stars. Comparison of laboratory spectra with far-UV astronomical spectra from the white-dwarf star G191-B2B recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph gives limits of Δα/α=(4. 2±1.6)×10-5 and (-6.1±5.8)×10-5 from FeV and NiV spectra, respectively, at a dimensionless gravitational potential relative to Earth of Δp≈5×10-5. With better determinations of the laboratory wavelengths of the lines employed these results could be improved by up to 2 orders of magnitude.
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Item type: Article ID code: 51609 Dates: DateEvent3 July 2013PublishedSubjects: Science > Astronomy
Science > PhysicsDepartment: Faculty of Science > Physics Depositing user: Pure Administrator Date deposited: 12 Feb 2015 10:07 Last modified: 28 Jul 2024 05:35 Related URLs: URI: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/51609