Varying Constants, Gravitation and Cosmology

IF 26.3 2区 物理与天体物理 Q1 PHYSICS, PARTICLES & FIELDS
Jean-Philippe Uzan
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引用次数: 582

Abstract

Fundamental constants are a cornerstone of our physical laws. Any constant varying in space and/or time would reflect the existence of an almost massless field that couples to matter. This will induce a violation of the universality of free fall. Thus, it is of utmost importance for our understanding of gravity and of the domain of validity of general relativity to test for their constancy. We detail the relations between the constants, the tests of the local position invariance and of the universality of free fall. We then review the main experimental and observational constraints that have been obtained from atomic clocks, the Oklo phenomenon, solar system observations, meteorite dating, quasar absorption spectra, stellar physics, pulsar timing, the cosmic microwave background and big bang nucleosynthesis. At each step we describe the basics of each system, its dependence with respect to the constants, the known systematic effects and the most recent constraints that have been obtained. We then describe the main theoretical frameworks in which the low-energy constants may actually be varying and we focus on the unification mechanisms and the relations between the variation of different constants. To finish, we discuss the more speculative possibility of understanding their numerical values and the apparent fine-tuning that they confront us with.

Abstract Image

变常数,万有引力和宇宙学
基本常数是我们物理定律的基石。任何在空间和/或时间上变化的常数都会反映出与物质耦合的几乎没有质量的场的存在。这将导致违反自由落体的普遍性。因此,对于我们理解引力和广义相对论的有效性领域来说,检验它们的恒常性是极其重要的。详细讨论了这些常数之间的关系,以及自由落体的局部位置不变性和普适性的检验。然后,我们回顾了从原子钟、奥克洛现象、太阳系观测、陨石定年、类星体吸收光谱、恒星物理、脉冲星计时、宇宙微波背景和大爆炸核合成中获得的主要实验和观测约束。在每个步骤中,我们描述了每个系统的基础,它与常数的依赖关系,已知的系统效应和最近得到的约束。然后,我们描述了低能常数实际上可能变化的主要理论框架,并重点讨论了统一机制和不同常数变化之间的关系。最后,我们将讨论理解它们的数值和它们所面临的明显微调的可能性。
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来源期刊
Living Reviews in Relativity
Living Reviews in Relativity 物理-物理:粒子与场物理
CiteScore
69.90
自引率
0.70%
发文量
0
审稿时长
20 weeks
期刊介绍: Living Reviews in Relativity is a peer-reviewed, platinum open-access journal that publishes reviews of research across all areas of relativity. Directed towards the scientific community at or above the graduate-student level, articles are solicited from leading authorities and provide critical assessments of current research. They offer annotated insights into key literature and describe available resources, maintaining an up-to-date suite of high-quality reviews, thus embodying the "living" aspect of the journal's title. Serving as a valuable tool for the scientific community, Living Reviews in Relativity is often the first stop for researchers seeking information on current work in relativity. Written by experts, the reviews cite, explain, and assess the most relevant resources in a given field, evaluating existing work and suggesting areas for further research. Attracting readers from the entire relativity community, the journal is useful for graduate students conducting literature surveys, researchers seeking the latest results in unfamiliar fields, and lecturers in need of information and visual materials for presentations at all levels.
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