Observable Effects of Scalar Fields and Varying Constants

TL;DR

This paper develops a method to determine when local experiments can detect cosmological variations of scalar fields affecting fundamental constants, including effects within collapsing structures like galaxies.

Contribution

It extends previous analyses by incorporating collapsing regions and confirms local experiments can constrain cosmological variations of constants.

Findings

Local region meets the sufficient condition for detection

Method applicable to virialised structures like galaxies

Supports using local observations to constrain cosmological constant variations

Abstract

We show by using the method of matched asymptotic expansions that a sufficient condition can be derived which determines when a local experiment will detect the cosmological variation of a scalar field which is driving the spacetime variation of a supposed constant of Nature. We extend our earlier analyses of this problem by including the possibility that the local region is undergoing collapse inside a virialised structure, like a galaxy or galaxy cluster. We show by direct calculation that the sufficient condition is met to high precision in our own local region and we can therefore legitimately use local observations to place constraints upon the variation of "constants" of Nature on cosmological scales.