Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2010-02-25
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
22 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal
Scientific paper
The optical spectra of objects classified as QSOs in the SDSS DR6 are analyzed with the aim of determining the value of the fine structure constant in the past and then check for possible changes in the constant over cosmological timescales. The analysis is done by measuring the position of the fine structure lines of the [OIII] doublet (4959 and 5008) in QSO nebular emission. From the sample of QSOs at redshifts z < 0.8 a subsample was selected on the basis of the amplitude and width of the [OIII] lines. Two different method were used to determine the position of the lines of the [OIII] doublet, both giving similar results. Using a clean sample containing 1568 of such spectra, a value of Delta alpha /alpha=(+2.4 +-2.5) x 10^{-5} (in the range of redshifts 0-0.8) was determined. The use of a larger number of spectra allows a factor ~5 improvement on previous constraints based on the same method. On the whole, we find no evidence of changes in alpha on such cosmological timescales. The mean variation compatible with our results is 1/
Gutierrez Carlos M.
Lopez-Corredoira Martin
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