1. Strong Limits on a Variable Proton to Electron Mass Ratio ()
from Ammonia Inversion Lines
C. Henkel
(MPIfR, Bonn)
NH3
Ratio of strong
to weak scale

2. Common Method H2 in Quasars Compare frequencies of vibrational and
rotational molecular transitions
H2 in Quasars
(Vibro-Rotational Absorption Lines)

3. Extragalactic Ammonia (NH3)
First polyatomic molecule detected in
interstellar space (1968)
• Large number of transitions within a limited frequency range (inversion lines)
• Wide range of excitation conditions
• Widespread spatial distribution
• Hyperfine structure allows us to directly determine optical depths
• Densities and gas kinetic temperatures can be derived

4. NH3

5. NH3
NH3
(18,18)
3130 K
Sgr B2
(T.L. Wilson et al. 2006)

6. NH3
( gp/)2
TMC-1C
λ  1.3 cm

8. B0218+357 A gravitational lens at z = 0.68466 (ze =0.944)
Look back time:
6  109 yr

10. PKS 1830-211: Lens at z = 0.88582 HI absorption also at z = 0.19
Frye, Welch, Broadhurst 1997, ApJ 478, L25
Lens at z =
HI absorption also at z = 0.19
(zblazar = 2.507)
Dim r ~ 0.5” Einstein ring

11. NH3 (1,1) + (2,2)
J. Braatz
23 K / 64 K
z =

12. NH3 (3,3)
123 K
z =

13. NH3 (4,4)
199 K
z =

14. NH3 (5,5)
294 K
z =

15. NH3 (6,6)
406 K
z =

16. NH3 (7,7)
535 K
z =

17. NH3 (8,8)
683 K
z =

18. NH3 (9,9)
848 K
z =

19. NH3 (10,10)
1031 K
z =

20.  = mp/me 3.46  (Δ/) = (zinv – zrot) / (1 + z) = ΔV/c
12CO
 = mp/me
NH3 inversion versus rotational lines:
3.46  (Δ/) =
(zinv – zrot) / (1 + z) =
ΔV/c
(Early discussions with J. Chengalur in Epping)
(Flambaum & Kozlov 2007, Phys. Rev. Let. 95, )
13CO

21. B
Complementary
rotational lines
Multicomponent
analysis

22. (Δ/Δt)/ < 4.5  10 -16 yr-1 (3σ limit)B
Δ/ < 2.7  (3σ limit)
(Δ/Δt)/ <  yr (3σ limit)
(Murphy, Flambaum, S. Muller et al. 2008, Sci 320, 1611)
Strength: A very thorough analysis
Caveats: Few NH3 and few rotational lines
(chemistry?)
Different frequencies (cm versus
mm-waves)
Optically thin versus optically thick
lines

23. PKS1830-211 Redshifted frequencies between 12.56 and 15.17 GHz
Background continuum between
6.5 and 8 Jy
NH3

24. PKS1830-211 NH3 τapparent: 0.0008 – 0.03 (NH3)
10.22.0
8.80.7
τapparent: – 0.03 (NH3)
0.35 for prominent (mm-wave
lines)
(Wiklind & Combes 1996, 1998)
and with 0.1 at dm-wavelengths
(Chengalur et al. 1999).
8.50.6
10.90.4
8.10.2, 8.50.6
8.20.3, 8.70.5
8.40.2, 9.10.7
8.60.1
7.40.2, 10.50.4
NH3
9.00.1, 8.60.5

25. NH3

26. NH3

27. APEX PKS1830-211 Δ/  5.7  10-6 (3σ limit)
Ground rotational transition
of NH3
Menten et al.
2008, A&A
492, 725
Δ/  5.7  10-6
(3σ limit)
APEX
Strength: One molecule
Caveats: 15 GHz versus 300 GHz
One rotational line
Limited S/N ratio

28. Effelsberg PKS1830−211 Rotational spectra of other molecules at nearby
frequencies
HC3N
SO J = 1−0
SO J = 2−1
C34S J = 1−0
H13CO+ J = 1−0
H13CN J = 1−0
HN13C J = 1−0
Effelsberg

29. 3.8 K < TCMB < 7.2 K Unweighted Mean: (5.65  0.81) K
[TCMB = 2.73 (1 + z)]
Expected value: 5.14 K
SiO (6.8  0.3) K
C34S (7.2  0.4) K
H13CO (3.8  0.3) K
H13CN (4.8  0.5) K
Unweighted Mean: (5.65  0.81) K

30. NH Other Species

31. <V>NH =  km/s
<V>HC3N =  km/s
<V>others =  km/s
<V>NH3,low =  km/s
<V>NH3,high =  km/s
NH3 + HC3N:
Δ/ < 1.4  (3σ, NH3, HC3N)
Also including the other lines
Δ/ < 1.0  10-6

32. Strength: Many molecular lines of both kinds
Similar frequencies
Optical depths << 1
No apparent velocity shift with excitation
Small time interval between the measurements
Caveats: The excitation of the inversion lines is higher
than those of the rotational lines
A thorough multicomponent analysis is
still missing

33. Δ/ < 3.0  (z = 2−3)

34. Δ/ < 3.0  (z = 2−3)
Δ/ < 1.0  (z = 0.89)

35. Δ/ < 3.0  (z = 2−3)
Δ/ < 1.0  (z = 0.89)
Δ/  1.0  (z = 0.00)

36. NH3
TMC-1C
λ  1.3 cm

37. HC3N
J=21
TMC-1C
λ  1.3 cm

38. Preliminary Results: 10 m/s Δ/  4 10-8 !!!
Molaro, Levshakov & Kozlov (astro-ph/ )
Levshakov, Molaro, & Kozlov (astro-ph/ )
NH3, C2H, HC3N, N2H+: 35 – 53 m/s !!!
Δ/  !!!
Accuracy to be achieved: Δ/  !!!
10 m/s

40. Chameleon Fields Quintessential Field varying in time and space?
Coupling with
matter could change
fundamental
quantities locally.

41. Thank You!