Laboratory and astrophysical tests of “constant variation” have so far concentrated on the dimensionless fine-structure constant α and on the electron or quark mass ratios Xe,q = me,q/ΛQCD, treating the QCD scale ΛQCD as unchangeable. Certain beyond Standard Model frameworks, most notably those with a dark matter or dark energy scalar field ϕ coupling with the gluon field, would make ΛQCD itself time dependent while leaving α and the electron mass untouched. Under the minimal assumption that this gluonic channel is the sole ϕ interaction, we recast state-of-the-art atomic clock comparisons into <InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math display="inline"> <msub> <mover accent="true"> <mi mathvariant="normal">Λ</mi> <mo>̇</mo> </mover> <mi>QCD</mi> </msub> <mo>/</mo> <msub> <mi mathvariant="normal">Λ</mi> <mi>QCD</mi> </msub> </math></EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$ {\dot{\Lambda}}_{\textrm{QCD}}/{\Lambda}_{\textrm{QCD}} $</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> = (3.2 ± 3.5) × 10−17 yr−1 limits, translate the isotope yields of the 1.8-Gyr-old Oklo natural reactor into a complementary geophysical limit of |δΛQCD/ΛQCD| < 2 × 10−9 over that time span, corresponding to the linear drift limit <InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math display="inline"> <mfenced close="|" open="|"> <mrow> <msub> <mover accent="true"> <mi mathvariant="normal">Λ</mi> <mo>̇</mo> </mover> <mi>QCD</mi> </msub> <mo>/</mo> <msub> <mi mathvariant="normal">Λ</mi> <mi>QCD</mi> </msub> </mrow> </mfenced> </math></EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$ \left|{\dot{\Lambda}}_{\textrm{QCD}}/{\Lambda}_{\textrm{QCD}}\right| $</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> < 1 × 10−18yr−1, and show that the proposed 8.4 eV 229Th nuclear clock would amplify a putative ΛQCD drift by four orders of magnitude compared with present atomic clocks. We also obtain constraints from quasar absorption spectra and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis data.

Constraints on the variation of the QCD interaction scale Λ_QCD

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2025年11月14日

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V. V. Flambaum,
A. J. Mansour

摘要

Laboratory and astrophysical tests of “constant variation” have so far concentrated on the dimensionless fine-structure constant α and on the electron or quark mass ratios X_e,q = m_e,q/Λ_QCD, treating the QCD scale Λ_QCD as unchangeable. Certain beyond Standard Model frameworks, most notably those with a dark matter or dark energy scalar field ϕ coupling with the gluon field, would make Λ_QCD itself time dependent while leaving α and the electron mass untouched. Under the minimal assumption that this gluonic channel is the sole ϕ interaction, we recast state-of-the-art atomic clock comparisons into ${\dot{Λ}}_{QCD} / Λ_{QCD}$ $ {\dot{\Lambda}}_{\textrm{QCD}}/{\Lambda}_{\textrm{QCD}} $ = (3.2 ± 3.5) × 10⁻¹⁷ yr⁻¹ limits, translate the isotope yields of the 1.8-Gyr-old Oklo natural reactor into a complementary geophysical limit of |δΛ_QCD/Λ_QCD| < 2 × 10⁻⁹ over that time span, corresponding to the linear drift limit $|{\dot{Λ}}_{QCD} / Λ_{QCD}|$ $ \left|{\dot{\Lambda}}_{\textrm{QCD}}/{\Lambda}_{\textrm{QCD}}\right| $ < 1 × 10⁻¹⁸yr⁻¹, and show that the proposed 8.4 eV ²²⁹Th nuclear clock would amplify a putative Λ_QCD drift by four orders of magnitude compared with present atomic clocks. We also obtain constraints from quasar absorption spectra and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis data.

Constraints on the variation of the QCD interaction scale ΛQCD

摘要

Constraints on the variation of the QCD interaction scale Λ_QCD