H^sub 2^ Lyman and Werner band lines and their sensitivity for a variation of the proton-electron mass ratio in the gravitational potential of white dwarfs

• Published in: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol. 450; no. 2; p. 1237
• Main Authors: Salumbides, E J, Bagdonaite, J, Abgrall, H, Roueff, E, Ubachs, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Oxford University Press 21.06.2015
• Subjects: Dwarf stars; Hydrogen; Molecular physics; Space telescopes; Star & galaxy formation
• ISSN: 0035-8711; 1365-2966

Recently we published an accurate analysis of molecular hydrogen absorption in the photospheres of the white dwarf stars GD133 and GD29-38, previously observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. Constraints were derived on a possible dependence of the proton-electron mass ratio on gravitational fields that are 10 000 times stronger than at the Earth's surface. Here we present further details of that study, in particular a re-evaluation of the spectrum of the ... Lyman bands relevant for the prevailing temperatures (12 000-14 000 K) of the photospheres. The emphasis is on the calculation of so-called Ki-coefficients, that represent the sensitivity of each individual line to a possible change in the proton-electron mass ratio. Such calculations were performed by semi-empirical methods and by ab initio methods providing accurate and consistent values. A full listing is provided for the molecular physics data on the Lyman bands (wavelengths ..., line oscillator strengths ..., radiative damping rates ..., and sensitivity coefficients ...) as required for the analyses of H2-spectra in hot dwarf stars. A similar listing of the molecular physics parameters for the ... Werner bands is provided for future use in the analysis of white dwarf spectra. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)