Comment on "Limits on the Time Variation of the Electromagnetic Fine-Structure Constant in the Low Energy Limit from Absorption Lines in the Spectra of Distant Quasars"

TL;DR

This paper critiques a previous study on the variation of the fine-structure constant, identifying flaws in their analysis that led to misleading conclusions, and argues that the data do not support claims of alpha variation.

Contribution

The authors demonstrate fundamental flaws in the prior analysis, showing that the previous claims of alpha variation are unsupported by the data and statistical methods used.

Findings

Previous analysis contained fundamental flaws.

Data does not support claims of varying alpha.

Reanalysis invalidates earlier conclusions.

Abstract

In their Letter [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 121302 (2004)] (also [Astron. Astrophys. 417, 853 (2004)]), Srianand et al. analysed optical spectra of heavy-element species in 23 absorption systems along background quasar sight-lines, reporting limits on relative variations in the fine-structure constant: da/a=(-0.06+/-0.06) x 10^{-5}. Here we demonstrate basic flaws in their analysis, using the same data and absorption profile fits, which led to spurious values of da/a and significantly underestimated uncertainties. We conclude that these data and fits offer no stringent test of previous evidence for a varying alpha. In their Reply (arXiv:0711.1742) to this Comment, Srianand et al. state or argue several points regarding their original analysis and our new analysis. We discuss these points here, dismissing all of them because they are demonstrably incorrect or because they rely on a flawed application of simple statistical arguments.