# Robust laboratory limits on a cosmological spatial gradient in the electromagnetic fine-structure constant from accelerometer experiments

@article{Stadnik2020RobustLL,
title={Robust laboratory limits on a cosmological spatial gradient in the electromagnetic fine-structure constant from accelerometer experiments},
journal={arXiv: Atomic Physics},
year={2020}
}
• Published 2020
• Physics
• arXiv: Atomic Physics
Quasar absorption spectral data indicate the presence of a spatial gradient in the electromagnetic fine-structure constant $\alpha$ on cosmological length scales. We point out that experiments with accelerometers, including torsion pendula and atom interferometers, can be used as sensitive probes of cosmological spatial gradients in the fundamental constants of nature, which give rise to equivalence-principle-violating forces on test masses. Using laboratory data from the Eot-Wash experiment… Expand

#### References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 56 REFERENCES
Manifestations of a spatial variation of fundamental constants in atomic and nuclear clocks, Oklo, meteorites, and cosmological phenomena
• Physics
• 2012
The recent indications of a spatial variation in the fine-structure constant α from quasar absorption systems (Webb J. K. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 107 (2011) 191101) must be independently confirmedExpand
Four direct measurements of the fine-structure constant 13 billion years ago
These are the most distant direct measurements of a to date and the first measurements using a near-IR spectrograph, and it is found a spatial variation is preferred over a no-variation model at the 3:9σ level. Expand
Fine-structure constant variability: surprises for laboratory atomic spectroscopy and cosmological evolution of quasar spectra
Calculation of the Dirac hydrogen atom spectrum in the framework of dynamical fine structure constant (alpha) variability discloses a small departure in the laboratory from Sommerfeld's formula forExpand
Dark Matter Direct Detection with Accelerometers
• Physics
• 2016
The mass of the dark matter particle is unknown, and may be as low as $\ensuremath{\sim}1{0}^{\ensuremath{-}22}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$. The lighter part of this range, belowExpand
Varying Constants, Gravitation and Cosmology
• J. Uzan
• Physics, Medicine
• Living reviews in relativity
• 2011
The relations between the constants, the tests of the local position invariance and of the universality of free fall are detailed, and the unification mechanisms and the relation between the variation of different constants are described. Expand
Can Dark Matter Induce Cosmological Evolution of the Fundamental Constants of Nature?
• Physics, Medicine
• Physical review letters
• 2015
This work derives limits on the quadratic interactions of ϕ with the photon, electron, and light quarks from measurements of the primordial (4)He abundance produced during big bang nucleosynthesis and recent atomic dysprosium spectroscopy measurements. Expand
Planck 2018 results. I. Overview and the cosmological legacy of Planck
The European Space Agency's Planck satellite, which was dedicated to studying the early Universe and its subsequent evolution, was launched on 14 May 2009. It scanned the microwave and submillimetreExpand
Updated constraints on spatial variations of the fine-structure constant
• Physics
• 2016
Abstract Recent work by Webb et al. has provided indications of spatial variations of the fine-structure constant, α, at a level of a few parts per million. Using a dataset of 293 archivalExpand
Indications of a spatial variation of the fine structure constant.
• Physics, Medicine
• Physical review letters
• 2011
New Very Large Telescope (VLT) data shows an inverse evolution; α increases at high redshift; the combined data set fits a spatial dipole, significant at the 4.2 σ level. Expand
Atomic gravitational wave interferometric sensor
• Physics
• 2008
We propose two distinct atom interferometer gravitational wave detectors, one terrestrial and another satellite based, utilizing the core technology of the Stanford 10 m atom interferometer presentlyExpand