Four direct measurements of the fine-structure constant 13 billion years ago.

Observations of the redshift z = 7.085 quasar J1120+0641 are used to search for variations of the fine structure constant, α, over the redshift range 5.5 to 7.1. Observations at z = 7.1 probe the physics of the universe at only 0.8 billion years old. These are the most distant direct measurements of α to date and the first measurements using a near-IR spectrograph. A new AI analysis method is employed. Four measurements from the x-shooter spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) constrain changes in a relative to the terrestrial value (α0). The weighted mean electromagnetic force in this location in the universe deviates from the terrestrial value by Δα/α = (α z - α0)/α0 = (-2.18 ± 7.27) × 10-5, consistent with no temporal change. Combining these measurements with existing data, we find a spatial variation is preferred over a no-variation model at the 3.9σ level.

Cosmology with varying constants.

The idea of possible time or space variations of the 'fundamental' constants of nature, although not new, is only now beginning to be actively considered by large numbers of researchers in the particle physics, cosmology and astrophysics communities. This revival is mostly due to the claims of possible detection of such variations, in various different contexts and by several groups. I present the current theoretical motivations and expectations for such variations, review the current observational status and discuss the impact of a possible confirmation of these results in our views of cosmology and physics as a whole.