A new substantive proton to electron mass ratio constraint on rolling scalar field cosmologies

TL;DR

New radio observations of methanol at high redshift set the most stringent limits on changes in the proton to electron mass ratio, significantly constraining rolling scalar field cosmologies and their associated new physics.

Contribution

First to provide extremely tight constraints on the variation of the proton to electron mass ratio at high redshift, impacting models of scalar field cosmologies and fundamental physics.

Findings

Limit on (delta mu)/mu is (0.0 +/- 1.0) x 10^{-7}

Constraints imply w+1 <= 0.001 at redshift 0.88582

Almost all scalar field cosmology parameter space is eliminated

Abstract

New PKS1830-211 radio frequency observations of methanol at a redshift of 0.88582 have established the most stringent limits on changes in the proton to electron mass ratio mu to date. The observations place the limit of (delta mu)/mu </= (0.0 +/- 1.0) x 10^{-7} which is approximately a factor of four lower than the previous lowest limit at a redshift of 0.6742. This stringent limit at a look back time of roughly half the age of the universe has profound implications for rolling scalar field cosmologies and the new physics that they require. Many of these cosmologies invoke a scalar field phi that is also coupled to the electromagnetic field causing the values of the fundamental constants, mu and the fine structure constant alpha to roll with time. If the lowest expected value of the coupling to mu, zeta_{mu}$ is invoked the new limit requires a limit on the dark energy equation of state parameter w such that w+1 </= 0.001 at a redshift of 0.88582. This eliminates almost all of the expected parameter space for such cosmologies and new physics that have a coupling to the electromagnetic field. In these cases the limit requires that w must be extremely close to -1 for the last half of the age of the universe or that the coupling of the rolling scalar field to mu and the electromagnetic field be significantly below or at the limit of its expected range. The new observations solidify the role of fundamental constants in providing probes of the possible cosmologies and new physics to explain the acceleration of the expansion of the universe.