Probing the time-variation of the fine-structure constant: Results based on Si IV doublets from a UVES sample

Abstract

We report a new constraint on the variation of the fine-structure constant based on the analysis of 15 Si IV doublets selected from a ESO-UVES sample. We find \Delta\alpha/\alpha = (+0.15+/-0.43) x 10^-5 over a redshift range of 1.59< z < 2.92 which is consistent with no variation in \alpha. This result represents a factor of three improvement on the constraint on \Delta\alpha/\alpha based on Si IV doublets compared to the published results in the literature. The alkali doublet method used here avoids the implicit assumptions used in the many-multiplet method that chemical and ionization inhomogeneities are negligible and isotopic abundances are close to the terrestrial value.