Testing the Constancy of the Gravitational Constant Using Helioseismology
- Department of Astronomy and Physics, Saint Mary`s University, Halifax, NS, Canada, B3H 3C3 (CANADA)
- Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44196-7079 (United States)
- Center for Solar and Space Research, Department of Astronomy, Yale University, P.O. Box 208101, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8101 (United States)
We compare the {ital p}-mode oscillation spectra of solar models, constructed under the assumption that the universal gravitation constant {ital G} varied monotonically over the course of the solar lifetime, to the most recent solar {ital p}-mode frequency observations from the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) instrument and Birmingham Solar Oscillation Network (BiSON). The GONG instrument consists of six telescopes spread over different longitude around the Earth, each recording, once every minute, Doppler shift images of the Sun`s surface. BiSON also consists of a network of six telescopes specifically designed to observe low-{ital l} {ital p}-modes. We find that only those solar models constructed with (1/{ital G}){ital dG}/{ital dt} {le} {approximately}1.6 {times} 10{sup {minus}12} yr{sup {minus}1} are consistent with the observations. This constraint not only probes {ital G} over cosmic time, it is stronger by almost one order of magnitude than constraints on the current maximum time variation coming from radar ranging and binary pulsar timing measurements. {copyright} {ital {copyright} 1998.} {ital The American Astronomical Society}
- OSTI ID:
- 642668
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 498, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: May 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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