WMAP 5-year constraints on time variation of $\alpha$ and $m_e$ in a detailed recombination scenario

TL;DR

This paper investigates how variations in fundamental constants like the fine structure constant and electron mass affect cosmic recombination and uses WMAP 5-year data to constrain these variations.

Contribution

It provides updated bounds on the time variation of fundamental constants within a detailed recombination model using recent cosmological data.

Findings

Constraints on the variation of $oldsymbol{eta}$ and $oldsymbol{eta}_m$ from WMAP data.

Recombination scenario changes influence the bounds on fundamental constants.

The analysis refines previous limits on fundamental constant variations in cosmology.

Abstract

We study the role of fundamental constants in an updated recombination scenario. We focus on the time variation of the fine structure constant, and the electron mass in the early Universe, and put bounds on these quantities by using data from CMB including WMAP 5-yr release and the 2dFGRS power spectrum. We analyze how the constraints are modified when changing the recombination scenario.