Abstract
We will discuss the physical ramifications, and describe an experiment with three high-precision clocks flying to within six solar radii of the sun for a test of a possible variation of the fine structure constant α. Measurement of the drift in ratios between the frequencies generated by each clock will probe for the variation of α. Since the response of each element to a change in α has a specific signature, this measurement will provide specific and unambiguous results. The sensitivity of this experiment to a changing α exceeds the sensitivity of recent tests based on observational astronomy, as well the geophysical bounds on α variations. Thus, the experiment will provide a compelling test of the standard model and the alternative theories.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
1. J.K. Webb et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 091301 (2001).
2. T. Damour, A. M. Polyakov, Nucl. Phys. B. 423, 532 (1994).
3. P.A.M. Dirac, Nature 139, 323 (1937).
4. J.D. Bekenstein, Phys. Rev. D 25, 1527 (1982).
5. J.D. Barrow, J. Magueijo, astro-ph/9811072.
6. H. Sandvik, J.D. Barrow, J. Magueijo, astro-ph/0107512.
7. J.W. Moffat, astro-ph/01093501.
8. D. Youm, hep-th/0108237
9. J.D. Bekenstein, Phys. Rev. D 66, 123514 (2002).
10. T. Damour, Astro. Phys. Space Sci. 283, 445 (2003).
11. R. Vessot et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 45, 2081 (1980).
12. J.D. Prestage, R.L. Tjoelker, L. Maleki, Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 3511 (1995).
13. H. Marion et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 150801 (2003)
14. S. Bize et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 150802 (2003)
15. T. Damour, F. Dyson, Nucl. Phys. B. 480, 37 (1996).
16. E.G. Adelberger, Class. Quant. Grav. 18, 2397 (2001).
17. V.A. Kostelecky, CPT and Lorentz Symmetry. World Scientific, Singapore, 1999.
18. R. Bluhm, V.A. Kostelecky, C. Lane, N. Russell, Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 090801 (2002)
19. J.D. Prestage, G. J. Dick and L. Maleki, J. Appl. Phys. 66, 1013 (1989).
20. J.D. Prestage, R.L. Tjoelker and L. Maleki, Topics Appl. Phys. 79, 195 (2001), Frequency Measurement and Control, ed. A. N. Luiten (Springer, Heidelberg, 2001).
21. J.D. Prestage, R.L. Tjoelker, L. Maleki, Proc. 2000 IEEE Freq. Control Symp., p. 459 (2000).
22. J.D. Prestage, S. Chung, E. Burt, L. Maleki, and R.L. Tjoelker, Proc. 2002 IEEE Freq. Control Symp., p. 706 (2000).
23. R.L. Tjoelker, J.D. Prestage, P. K. Koppang, and T. B. Swanson, Proc. 2003 IEEE Freq. Control Symp., p. 1066 (2003).
24. S.G. Turyshev et al., 35 Years of Testing Relativistic Gravity: Where Do We Go from Here?, Lect. Notes Phys. 648, 311–330 (2004)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin/Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Maleki, L., Prestage, J. (2004). Search for New Physics with Atomic Clocks. In: Karshenboim, S.G., Peik, E. (eds) Astrophysics, Clocks and Fundamental Constants. Lecture Notes in Physics, vol 648. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-40991-5_20
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-40991-5_20
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-21967-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-40991-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive