Abstract
There are indications from the study of quasar absorption spectra that the fine structure constant may have been measurably smaller for redshifts Analyses of other data fission rate for the Oklo natural reactor, variation of -decay rate in meteorite studies, atomic clock measurements) which probe variations of in the more recent past imply much smaller deviations from its present value. In this work we tie the variation of to the evolution of the quintessence field proposed by Albrecht and Skordis, and show that agreement with all these data, as well as consistency with Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe observations, can be achieved for a range of parameters. Some definite predictions follow for upcoming space missions searching for violations of the equivalence principle.
- Received 19 June 2003
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.68.083513
©2003 American Physical Society