Constraints on changes in the proton-electron mass ratio using methanol lines

We report Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) absorption spectroscopy in four methanol (CH3OH) lines in the z = 0.885 82 gravitational lens towards PKS1830-211. Three of the four lines have very different sensitivity coefficients K-mu to changes in the proton-electron mass ratio mu; a comparison between the line redshifts thus allows us to test for temporal evolution in mu. We obtain a stringent statistical constraint on changes in mu by comparing the redshifted 12.179 and 60.531 GHz lines, [Delta mu/mu] 4 sigma significance). The sensitivity of the above result, and that of all earlier CH3OH studies, is thus likely to be limited by unknown systematic errors, probably arising due to the frequency-dependent structure of PKS1830-211. A robust result is obtained by combining the three lines at similar frequencies, 48.372, 48.377 and 60.531 GHz, whose line profiles are found to be in good agreement. This yields the 2 sigma constraint [Delta mu/mu] less than or similar to 4 x 10(-7), the most stringent current constraint on changes in mu. We thus find no evidence for changes in the proton-electron mass ratio over a lookback time of approximate to 7.5 Gyr.

NATURVETENSKAP Fysik Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi hsv//swe
NATURAL SCIENCES Physical Sciences Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology hsv//eng
Hydrogen
Quasars
Atomic Processes
Absorption Lines
Galaxies
Hyperfine-Structure
Redshift
Gravitational Lens
Uves Large
Time-Variation
Fine-Structure Constant
Molecular Absorption
Lens Pks 1830-211
High-Redshift
PKS1830-211
Testing Fundamental Physics

Ubachs, W.Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) (författare)
Menten, K. M.Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. (MPG),Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (MPG) (författare)
Bagdonaite, J.Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. (MPG),Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (MPG) (författare)
Brunthaler, AndreasMax Planck Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. (MPG),Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (MPG) (författare)
Henkel, C.Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. (MPG),Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (MPG),King Abdulaziz University (författare)
Muller, Sebastien,1976Chalmers tekniska högskola,Chalmers University of Technology(Swepub:cth)mullers (författare)
Bethlem, H. L.Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) (författare)
Dapra, M.Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) (författare)
National Centre for Radio Astrophysics IndiaVrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) (creator_code:org_t)

Ingår i:Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters: Oxford University Press (OUP)448:1, s. L104-L1081745-39251745-3933

Av författaren/redakt...: Kanekar, N.; Ubachs, W.; Menten, K. M.; Bagdonaite, J.; Brunthaler, Andr ...; Henkel, C.; visa fler...; Muller, Sebastie ...; Bethlem, H. L.; Dapra, M.; visa färre...

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