WMAP Constraints on varying $α$ and the Promise of Reionization

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dc.creatorMartins, C. J. A. P.
dc.creatorMelchiorri, A.
dc.creatorRocha, G.
dc.creatorTrotta, R.
dc.creatorAvelino, P. P.
dc.creatorViana, P.
dc.date2003-02-14
dc.date2003-11-27
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T11:29:05Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T11:29:05Z
dc.descriptionWe present up-to-date constraints on the value of the fine-structure constant at the epoch of decoupling from the recent observations made by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite. In the framework of models we considered, a positive (negative) variation of the value of $α$ at decoupling with respect to the present-day value is now bounded to be smaller than 2% (6%) at 95% confidence level. We point out that the existence of an early reionization epoch as suggested by the above measurements will, when more accurate cosmic microwave background polarization data is available, lead to considerably tighter constraints. The so-called `reionization bump', in particular, will be extremely useful for this purpose. We find that constraints on $α$ can in principle only be as small as $0.1 %$ using CMB data alone--tighter constraints will require further (non-CMB) priors.
dc.descriptionVersion to appear in Phys Lett B
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0302295
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0302295
dc.identifierPhys.Lett.B585:29-34,2004
dc.identifierdoi:10.1016/j.physletb.2003.11.080
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/196598
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.subjectGeneral Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
dc.subjectHigh Energy Physics - Phenomenology
dc.subjectHigh Energy Physics - Theory
dc.titleWMAP Constraints on varying $α$ and the Promise of Reionization
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