Search for variations of fundamental constants
Jim Rich
SPP
Mardi 20/01/2015, 13:30-14:30
Bat 141, salle André Berthelot (143) , CEA Paris-Saclay

http://fr.arxiv.org/abs/1412.8160

Investigation of the fundamental constants stability based on the reactor Oklo burn-up analysis

   New severe constraints on the variation of the fine structure constant have been obtained from reactor Oklo analysis in our previous work. We investigate here how these constraints confine the parameter of BSBM model of varying α. Integrating the coupled system of equations from the Big Bang up to the present time and taking into account the Oklo limits we have obtained the following margin on the combination of the parameters of BSBM model:

   |ζm(llpl)2|<6⋅10−7,

   where lpl=(Gℏc3)12≈1.6⋅10−33 cm is a Plank length and l is the characteristic length of the BSBM model. The natural value of the parameter ζm - the fraction of electromagnetic energy in matter - is about 10−4. As a result it is followed from our analysis that the characteristic length l of BSBM theory should be considerably smaller than the Plank length to fulfill the Oklo constraints on α variation. 

 

 

http://fr.arxiv.org/abs/1412.7801

Searching for dark matter and variation of fundamental constants with laser and maser interferometry

Laser and maser interferometry have proven to be extremely sensitive techniques in searches for exotic new physics, including searches for the aether, tests of Lorentz symmetry and gravitational wave detection. We propose several new uses of laser and maser interferometry for investigating fundamental physics. Any slight variations in the fundamental constants of Nature, which may be induced by dark matter or some yet-to-be-discovered cosmic field, would characteristically alter the phase of a light beam inside an interferometer, which can be measured extremely precisely. Laser and maser interferometry may be applied to searches for the linear-in-time drift of the fundamental constants, detection of topological defect dark matter through transient-in-time effects and for a relic, coherently oscillating condensate, which consists of scalar dark matter fields, through oscillating effects. Our proposed experiments offer sensitivity to variation of the fundamental constants at the fractional level ∼10−21, based on already existing technology. 

Contact : Jean-marc LE-GOFF

 

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