skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: FIRST COSMOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE PROTON-TO-ELECTRON MASS RATIO FROM OBSERVATIONS OF ROTATIONAL TRANSITIONS OF METHANOL

Abstract

We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array to measure the absorption from the 2{sub 0} {yields} 3{sub -1} E 12.2 GHz transition of methanol toward the z = 0.89 lensing galaxy in the PKS B1830-211 gravitational lens system. Comparison of the velocity of the main absorption feature with the published absorption spectrum from the 1{sub 0} {yields} 2{sub -1} E transition of methanol shows that they differ by -0.6 {+-} 1.6 km s{sup -1}. We can use these observations to constrain the changes in the proton-to-electron mass ratio {mu} from z = 0.89 to the present to 0.8 {+-} 2.1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -7}. This result is consistent, and of similar precision to recent observations at z = 0.68 achieved through comparison of a variety of rotational and inversion transitions, and approximately a factor of two better than previous constraints obtained in this source. Future more sensitive observations that incorporate additional rotational methanol transitions offer the prospect of improving current results by a factor of 5-10.

Authors:
;  [1];
  1. School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 37, Hobart, TAS 7001 (Australia)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22048023
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 747; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8205
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ABSORPTION SPECTRA; ACCURACY; ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; COSMIC ELECTRONS; COSMIC PROTONS; GALAXIES; GHZ RANGE; GRAVITATIONAL LENSES; MASS; METHANOL; MOLECULES; QUASARS; TELESCOPES

Citation Formats

Ellingsen, S P, Lovell, J E. J., Voronkov, M A, and Breen, S. L., E-mail: Simon.Ellingsen@utas.edu.au. FIRST COSMOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE PROTON-TO-ELECTRON MASS RATIO FROM OBSERVATIONS OF ROTATIONAL TRANSITIONS OF METHANOL. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/747/1/L7.
Ellingsen, S P, Lovell, J E. J., Voronkov, M A, & Breen, S. L., E-mail: Simon.Ellingsen@utas.edu.au. FIRST COSMOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE PROTON-TO-ELECTRON MASS RATIO FROM OBSERVATIONS OF ROTATIONAL TRANSITIONS OF METHANOL. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/747/1/L7
Ellingsen, S P, Lovell, J E. J., Voronkov, M A, and Breen, S. L., E-mail: Simon.Ellingsen@utas.edu.au. 2012. "FIRST COSMOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE PROTON-TO-ELECTRON MASS RATIO FROM OBSERVATIONS OF ROTATIONAL TRANSITIONS OF METHANOL". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/747/1/L7.
@article{osti_22048023,
title = {FIRST COSMOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE PROTON-TO-ELECTRON MASS RATIO FROM OBSERVATIONS OF ROTATIONAL TRANSITIONS OF METHANOL},
author = {Ellingsen, S P and Lovell, J E. J. and Voronkov, M A and Breen, S. L., E-mail: Simon.Ellingsen@utas.edu.au},
abstractNote = {We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array to measure the absorption from the 2{sub 0} {yields} 3{sub -1} E 12.2 GHz transition of methanol toward the z = 0.89 lensing galaxy in the PKS B1830-211 gravitational lens system. Comparison of the velocity of the main absorption feature with the published absorption spectrum from the 1{sub 0} {yields} 2{sub -1} E transition of methanol shows that they differ by -0.6 {+-} 1.6 km s{sup -1}. We can use these observations to constrain the changes in the proton-to-electron mass ratio {mu} from z = 0.89 to the present to 0.8 {+-} 2.1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -7}. This result is consistent, and of similar precision to recent observations at z = 0.68 achieved through comparison of a variety of rotational and inversion transitions, and approximately a factor of two better than previous constraints obtained in this source. Future more sensitive observations that incorporate additional rotational methanol transitions offer the prospect of improving current results by a factor of 5-10.},
doi = {10.1088/2041-8205/747/1/L7},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22048023}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal Letters},
issn = {2041-8205},
number = 1,
volume = 747,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Thu Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}