Stellar test of the physics of unification

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Vieira, JPP (Author) FCUP; Martins, CJAP (Author) FCUP; Monteiro, MJPFG (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology

Vol. 86

ISSN: 1550-7998

Publisher: American Physical Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 13 Citations

Scopus - 12 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Physical sciences

CORDIS: Physical sciences > Astronomy

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-6ZM

DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.86.043003

Abstract (EN): We discuss the feasibility of using solar-type main-sequence stars as probes of fundamental physics and unification. We use a simple polytropic stellar structure model and study its sensitivity to variations of the gravitational, strong and electroweak coupling constants in the context of unification scenarios. We quantify the sensitivity of the Sun's interior temperature to these variations, finding vertical bar Delta alpha/alpha vertical bar less than or similar to 1.3 x 10(-4) for a "canonical" choice of unification scenario, and discuss prospects for future improvements.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific