About some possible empirical evidences in favor of a cosmological time variation of the speed of light

作者：Sanejouand Y H^*

来源：EPL, 2009, 88(5): 59002.

DOI：10.1209/0295-5075/88/59002

Possible empirical evidences in favor of the hypothesis that the speed of light decreases by a few centimeters per second each year are examined. Lunar laser ranging data are found to be consistent with this hypothesis, which also provides a straightforward explanation for the so-called Pioneer anomaly, that is, a time-dependent blue-shift observed when analyzing radio tracking data from distant spacecrafts, as well as an alternative explanation for both the apparent time-dilation of remote events and the apparent acceleration of the Universe. The main argument against this hypothesis, namely, the constancy of fine-structure and Rydberg constants, is discussed. Both of them being combinations of several physical constants, their constancy implies that, if the speed of light is indeed time-dependent, then at least two other "fundamental constants" have to vary as well. This puts severe constraints on the development of any future varying-speed-of-light theory.

• 出版日期2009-12