Quick search Find article
Quick search
Find article

Stars in other universes: stellar structure with different fundamental constants

Fred C Adams

Show affiliations


Motivated by the possible existence of other universes, with possible variations in the laws of physics, this paper explores the parameter space of fundamental constants that allows for the existence of stars. To make this problem tractable, we develop a semi-analytical stellar structure model that allows for physical understanding of these stars with unconventional parameters, as well as a means to survey the relevant parameter space. In this work, the most important quantities that determine stellar properties—and are allowed to vary—are the gravitational constant G, the fine structure constant α and a composite parameter \mathcal {C} that determines nuclear reaction rates. Working within this model, we delineate the portion of parameter space that allows for the existence of stars. Our main finding is that a sizable fraction of the parameter space (roughly one-fourth) provides the values necessary for stellar objects to operate through sustained nuclear fusion. As a result, the set of parameters necessary to support stars are not particularly rare. In addition, we briefly consider the possibility that unconventional stars (e.g. black holes, dark matter stars) play the role filled by stars in our universe and constrain the allowed parameter space.


Keywords

dark matter

cosmology of theories beyond the SM

massive stars

black holes

PACS

97.10.Cv Stellar structure, interiors, evolution, nucleosynthesis, ages

97.60.Lf Black holes

95.30.Cq Elementary particle processes

95.35.+d Dark matter (stellar, interstellar, galactic, and cosmological)

98.80.Cq Particle-theory and field-theory models of the early Universe (including cosmic pancakes, cosmic strings, chaotic phenomena, inflationary universe, etc.)

Subjects

Gravitation and cosmology

Particle physics and field theory

Astrophysics and astroparticles

Dates

Issue 08 (August 2008)

Received 5 June 2008, accepted for publication 14 July 2008

Published 7 August 2008



Related review articles

What's this?
View review articles related to this research to gain an insight into the key trends in this subject area. Related review articles are selected based on PACS/MSC codes, and are no more than three years old.

  1. The magnetic fields of forming solar-like stars

View by subject




Export








Please login to access our web services, or create an account if you don't yet have one.

You must have cookies enabled in your web browser to be able to login.

Username
Password

Forgotten your password? Get a new one here.