1. Physics beyond the Standard Model from molecular hydrogen; Part I
ALMA
VLT
HST
Effelsberg
Lasers
Wim Ubachs
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
PSAS 2016
Jerusalem, 23 May 2016

2. Varying Constants of Nature ?
Coupling constants are free parameters in Standard Model
But cannot be varied at will
Bekenstein – Barrow – Flambaum : consistent models
1) Coupling to matter
Variation on cosmological
time scales
“Connection to
Dark Energy scenarios”
2) Coupling to environment
-> “chameleons”
Dependence on local density
Dependence on gravity

3. Lab QSO Empirical search for a change in m
Compare H2 in different epochs
Lab
today
QSO
12 Gyr ago nm
~ nm
Cosmological redshift
Practical: atmospheric transmission only for z>2

4. H2 molecule 2pp 2ps H H2 Blue-shifted from Lyman-a
(1s)2- (1s)(2p); threefold 2p orbitals
2pp
2ps H H2
X1Sg+ - (2ps) B1Su+
X1Sg+ - (2pp) C1Pu
Blue-shifted from Lyman-a
Doubly degenerate

5. H2 dipole-allowed spectrum
Blue-shifted from Lyman-a
2pp
2ps H H2
Theodore
Lyman
H2, Lyman en Werner BANDS
~ nm
Extreme Ultraviolet Wavelengths

6. “Sensitivity”
Perturbations

7. H2 laboratory wavelengths
The Amsterdam “XUV-laser”
XUV-laser excitation
P(3)
C-X
(1,0)
R(0) B-X
(9,0) line
Ubachs, Phys. Rev. Lett. (2004)
Reinhold et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. (2006)
Salumbides et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. (2009)
For HD
Ivanov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. (2008)

8. Soleil VUV Fourier-Transform SpectrometerHD

9. >160 lines measured
at ~ 5 x 10-8
Some lines at < 1 x 10-8

10. VLT – UVES
Paranal, Chili
Keck – HIRES
Hawaii

12. Various
systems
observed

13. Analysis method: “comprehensive fitting”
Produce molecular fingerprint
li – set of accurate wavelengths
fi – set of line oscillator strengths (from ab initio theory)
Gi – set of damping coefficients (from ab initio theory)
Astrophysical conditions
b – Doppler width parameter
z – red shift
NJ – column densities
Fit equation onto spectrum
“Treat” HI and metal lines
Multiple velocity components (?)
Ki – set of sensitivity coefficients

14. The best system: J2123-005 at zabs=2.05
Unique spectrum from Keck; Resolution ; seeing 0.3”
Spectrum from VLT; R=54000; seeing 0.8”; better SNR
37 panels, 3071 – 3421 Å
~100 H2 + 7 HD lines
Keck:
Dm/m = (5.6 ± 5.5stat ± 2.9syst) x 10-6
VLT:
Dm/m = (8.5 ± 3.6stat ± 2.2syst) x 10-6

15. Q1441+272 ; the most distant zabs = 4.22 ; 1.5 Gyrs after the Big Bang
Systematic
analysis
Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, (2015)

16. Status
|Dm/m| = (3.1  1.6) x 10-6
W. Ubachs, J. Bagdonaite, E.J. Salumbides, M.T. Murphy, L. Kaper Search for a drifting proton-electron mass ratio from H2 Rev. Mod. Phys. 88, (2016)

17. Satelite-Based observations
Cosmic Origins Spectrograph
Hubble Space Telescope
Dependence of m
on gravitational field
Spectrum of GD-133 and GD29-38
White Dwarf stars
H2 in VUV
In search for the chameleon
scenario (local conditions)

19. Contributions of many lines in the B-X Lyman system
l ~ nm
High temperatures
High v populated
Franck-Condon factors

20. Dependence of Dm/m on gravitational field
Invoke partition function:
Invoke intensities (1500 lines):
Fit T and Dm/m
GD133: Dm/m = (-2.7 +/- 4.7) x 10-5
GD29-38: Dm/m = (-5.9 +/-3.8) x 10-5
Bagdonaite et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, (2014)

21. CO A1P-X1S+ electronic bands
POSTER
CO A1P-X1S+ electronic bands
In J at z=2.69

22. Search for higher sensitivity molecule
What should you look at ?
Search for higher sensitivity molecule
Calculations
Extreme shifters

23. Methanol: the extreme shifter
MHz; K=-1
MHz; K=-1
MHz; K=-33
MHz; K=-7

24. PKS-1830-211 “molecular factory” A Stringent Limit on a Drifting
Effelsberg Radio Telescope
PKS
“molecular factory”
at z=
(7.5 Gyrs look-back)
A Stringent Limit on a Drifting
Proton-to-Electron Mass Ratio
from Alcohol in the Early Universe
Bagdonaite, Jansen, Henkel, Bethlem, Menten, Ubachs,
Science 339 (2013) 46
K=-33
K=-1
K=-7

25. PKS1830-211; lensing, blazar, time-varying
Radio-loud quasar
“Blazar”
Intervening galaxy
with cold methanol

26. Result from three telescopes
IRAM-30m
Chajnantor, Chile
5 km altitude
160 GHz
261 GHz

27. HD+ ions in a trap; measurement of (8,0)
Look for loss of HD+
750 Be+
40-85 HD+
Signal detection by
REMPD
782 nm
+ 532 nm
313 nm

28. HD+ spectrum Theory 782 nm Experiment
J = 4
HD+ spectrum
S = 2
J = 3
J = 2
J = 1
J = 0
F = 1
S = 1
J = 3
J = 2
J = 1
v = 8, L =2
Theory
S = 0
J = 2
F = 0
S = 1
J = 1
J = 2
J = 3
782 nm
J = 5
S = 2
J = 4
J = 3
J = 2
J = 1
F = 1
S = 1
J = 4
J = 3
v = 0, L =3
J = 2
Experiment
S = 0
J = 3
F = 0
S = 1
J = 2
J = 3
J = 4
Experiment: 383,407,177.38(41) MHz
Theory*: 383,407, (15) MHz
*Korobov, Hilico, Karr, Phys. Rev. A 89, (2014)
Biesheuvel et al. (Nature Comm. 2016)

29. Thanks & Acknowledgement
MingLi
Niu
Paul
Jansen
Julija
Bagdonaite
Mario
Dapra
Edcel
Salumbides
Isabelle
Kleiner
Jeroen
Koelemeij
Jurriaan
Biesheuvel
HD+
Michael
Murphy
Karl
Menten
Nissim
Kanekar