A search for varying fundamental constants using hertz-level frequency measurements of cold CH molecules

S. Truppe, R.J. Hendricks, S.K. Tokunaga, H.J. Lewandowski, M.G. Kozlov, Christian Henkel, E.A. Hinds and M.R. Tarbutt ()
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S. Truppe: Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London
R.J. Hendricks: Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London
S.K. Tokunaga: Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London
H.J. Lewandowski: University of Colorado
M.G. Kozlov: Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute
Christian Henkel: Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
E.A. Hinds: Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London
M.R. Tarbutt: Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London

Nature Communications, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Many modern theories predict that the fundamental constants depend on time, position or the local density of matter. Here we develop a spectroscopic method for pulsed beams of cold molecules, and use it to measure the frequencies of microwave transitions in CH with accuracy down to 3 Hz. By comparing these frequencies with those measured from sources of CH in the Milky Way, we test the hypothesis that fundamental constants may differ between the high- and low-density environments of the Earth and the interstellar medium. For the fine structure constant we find Δα/α=(0.3±1.1) × 10−7, the strongest limit to date on such a variation of α. For the electron-to-proton mass ratio we find Δμ/μ=(−0.7±2.2) × 10−7. We suggest how dedicated astrophysical measurements can improve these constraints further and can also constrain temporal variation of the constants.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3600

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