A five dimensional model of varying effective gravitational and fine structure constants

Free access article

Issue		A&A Volume 397, Number 3, January III 2003


Page(s)		803 - 807
Section		Extragalactic astronomy
DOI		http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20021521

A&A 397, 803-807 (2003)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20021521

A five dimensional model of varying effective gravitational and fine structure constants

J. P. Mbelek and M. Lachièze-Rey

Service d'Astrophysique, C.E. Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
(Received 23 May 2002 / Accepted 7 October 2002 )

Abstract
We explore the possibility that the reported time variation of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ is due to a coupling between electromagnetism and gravitation. We predict such a coupling from a very simple effective theory of physical interactions, under the form of an improved version of the Kaluza-Klein theory. We show that it precisely leads to a variation of the effective fine structure constant with cosmic conditions, and thus with cosmic time. The comparison with the recent data from distant quasars absorption line spectra gives a good agreement; moreover, this may reconcile the claimed results on $\alpha$ with the upper limit from the Oklo naturel Uranium fission reactor.

Key words: galaxies: quasars: absorption lines -- cosmology: theory

Offprint request: J. P. Mbelek, mbelek@discovery.saclay.cea.fr

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