RESEARCH
<< back
Observational Constraints on Varying-Alpha Domain Walls

P. P. Avelino, L. Sousa

Abstract
We consider the possibility that current hints of spatial variations of the fine structure constant at high redshift, based on VLT/UVES and Keck/HIRES observations, could be caused by a biased domain wall network described by a scalar field non-minimally coupled to the electromagnetic field. We show that in order to be responsible for the reported spatial variations of the fine structure constant, the fractional contribution of the domain wall network to the energy density of the Universe should be tightly constrained within the range 1010<Ωw0<105 . We also show that the domain wall dynamics should be essentially frictionless, so that its characteristic scale is in the order of the Hubble radius at the present time.

Keywords
cosmology - topological defects - domain walls - fundamental constants

Universe
Volume 1, Number 1, Page 6
2015 February

>> ADS>> DOI

Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia COMPETE 2020 PORTUGAL 2020 União Europeia