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arxiv: 0704.2301 · v2 · submitted 2007-04-18 · 🌌 astro-ph · hep-ph· physics.atom-ph· physics.space-ph

Enhanced sensitivity to time-variation of m_p/m_e in the inversion spectrum of ammonia

classification 🌌 astro-ph hep-phphysics.atom-phphysics.space-ph
keywords deltainversionsensitivitytime-variationammoniaenhancedlimitmass
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We calculate the sensitivity of the inversion spectrum of ammonia to possible time-variation of the ratio of the proton mass to the electron mass, mu=m_p/m_e. For the inversion transition (lambda= 1.25 cm^{-1}) the relative frequency shift is significantly enhanced: delta(omega)/omega=-4.46, delta(mu)/mu. This enhancement allows one to increase sensitivity to the time-variation of mu using NH_3 spectra for high redshift objects. We use published data on microwave spectra of the object B0218+357 to place the limit delta(mu)/mu =(0.6 +/- 1.9) 10^{-6} at redshift z=0.6847; this limit is several times better than the limits obtained by different methods and may be significantly improved. Assuming linear time dependence we obtain dot{mu}/mu=(-1 +/- 3) 10^{-16} yr^{-1}.

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