Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Experiment Videos

Methods for constraining fine structure constant evolution with OH microwave transitions.

Jeremy Darling1

  • 1Carnegie Observatories, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, California 91101, USA.

Physical Review Letters
|August 9, 2003
PubMed
Summary

This study uses hydroxyl (OH) microwave transitions in cosmic objects to constrain the evolution of the fine-structure constant (alpha). Comparing different OH lines within a single object minimizes errors for more accurate measurements.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Deep vein arterialization for chronic limb-threatening ischemia: from PROMISE to practice.

The Journal of cardiovascular surgery·2026
Same author

Vascular Intervention for the Diabetic Foot.

Clinics in podiatric medicine and surgery·2025
Same author

Comparative outcomes of transfemoral carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy versus transcarotid artery revascularization in standard- and high-risk patients since the CMS decision in October 2023 using the VQI.

Journal of vascular surgery·2025
Same author

Predictors of postoperative stroke after transfemoral carotid artery stenting.

Journal of vascular surgery·2025
Same author

The effect of aneurysm diameter on perioperative outcomes following complex endovascular repair.

Journal of vascular surgery·2025
Same author

Assessment of self-reported financial conflicts of interest in vascular surgery studies.

Journal of vascular surgery·2021
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Area of Science:

  • Cosmology
  • Astrophysics
  • Fundamental Physics

Background:

  • The fine-structure constant (alpha) is a fundamental constant in physics.
  • Measuring its potential evolution over cosmic time is crucial for understanding fundamental physics.
  • Previous measurements using multiple atomic species may suffer from systematic errors due to relative velocity offsets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the constraints on the cosmic evolution of the fine-structure constant (alpha) using hydroxyl (OH) microwave transitions.
  • To develop a method that minimizes systematic errors by using a single atomic species.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing centimeter OH microwave transitions, specifically hyperfine splitting and lambda-doubling.
  • Comparing the 18 cm and 6 cm OH lines within the same astronomical object.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Calibrating for systematic errors and comparing OH lines with HI 21 cm and CO rotational transitions.

    • Main Results:

    • OH microwave transitions offer a unique way to probe the evolution of alpha.
    • Comparing different OH lines in a single object provides multiple determinations of alpha, reducing systematic uncertainties.
    • This method avoids errors associated with relative velocity offsets between different atomic species.

    Conclusions:

    • Hydroxyl (OH) microwave transitions in megamasers and molecular absorbers are promising probes for constraining the cosmic evolution of the fine-structure constant.
    • The proposed method using OH lines offers a robust approach to measure alpha's evolution, potentially yielding more accurate results than previous methods.