Constraining minimally extended varying speed of light by cosmological chronometers

TL;DR

This paper introduces the minimally extended varying speed of light (meVSL) model, which satisfies physical and cosmological conditions, and explores its testability using cosmological chronometers, finding current data cannot distinguish it from the standard model.

Contribution

The paper develops a self-consistent meVSL model that aligns with local physics laws and cosmic conditions, and analyzes its observational signatures using cosmological chronometers.

Findings

Redshift-drift formula in meVSL matches standard model.

Current CC data cannot distinguish meVSL from standard model with Planck parameters.

CC data favor meVSL when using Pantheon 22 data.

Abstract

At least one dimensionless physical constant (i.e., a physically observable) must change for the cosmic time to make the varying speed of light (VSL) models phenomenologically feasible. Various physical constants and quantities also should be functions of cosmic time to satisfy all known local laws of physics, including special relativity, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism. Adiabatic condition is another necessary condition to keep the homogeneity and isotropy of three-dimensional space. To be a self-consistent theory, one should consider cosmic evolutions of physical constants and quantities when one derives Einstein's field equations and their solutions. All these conditions are well satisfied in the so-called minimally extended varying speed of light (meVSL) model. Unlike other VSL models, we show that the redshift-drift formula of the meVSL model is the same as a standard model. Therefore, we cannot use this as an experimental tool to verify the meVSL. Instead, one can still use the cosmological chronometers (CC) as a model-independent test of the meVSL. The current CC data cannot distinguish meVSL from the standard model (SM) when we adopt the best-fit values (or Gaussian prior) of the present values of $H_0$ and of $\Omega_{m0}$ from the Planck mission. However, the CC data prefer the meVSL when we choose Pantheon 22 data.