Spectroscopic Shifts in Deuterated Methanol Induced by Variation of me/mp

Abstract

Numerical calculations of the sensitivity coefficients, Q_mu, of microwave molecular transitions in the ground torsion-rotation state of deuterated methanol (CH3OD, CD3OH, and CD3OD) to small variations in the fundamental physical constant mu = me/mp - the electron-to-proton mass ratio - are reported. Theoretical motivation for changes in mu comes from a variety of models beyond the Standard Model of particle physics which are invoked to explain the nature of dark matter and dark energy that dominate the Universe. The calculated values of Q_mu range from -300 to +73 and, thus, make deuterated methanol promising for searches for small space-time changes in mu. It is also shown that among the calculated sensitivity coefficients Q_mu using different Hamiltonians in the present and previous works, there are several pronounced outliers of unclear nature.