Abstract:
Laboratory methods for detecting possible time variation in the fine structure constant are reviewed. Such methods provide a large amount of controllability while at the same time approaching astrophysical tests in terms of sensitivity to the linear drift. Modern high-precision spectroscopic experiments involving atomic transition frequency measurements against the primary ${}^{133}\mathrm{Cs}$ standard are reviewed. Combining results from different laboratory spectroscopic measurements allows contributions from the electromagnetic and strong interactions to be disentangled.
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