Marvin F. Silva
CAUP

Abstract
The variation in time and/or space of some quantities widely held as constants, such as the fine-structure constant, would be a clear indication of physics beyond the Standard Model. There has been experimental evidence suggesting that some of these quantities are, indeed, not constant over cosmological time. A variety of theoretical models have been proposed in a attempt to explain this variation, which include the Symmetron Model.
The Symmetron Model is a scalar-tensor modification of gravity which relies on a scalar-field whose VEV depends on the local density (thus avoiding local constrains) and couples to the EM action. In this work we examine, through N-Body simulations, whether this model can explain the claimed fine-structure constant variation.

2013 January 09, 13:30

IA/U.Porto
Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto (Classroom)
Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto