Constraining Fundamental Parameters in Modified Gravity Using Gaia-DR2 Massive White Dwarf Observations

Abstract

Various experiments and observations have led researchers to suggest different bounds on fundamental constants like the fine-structure constant and the proton-to-electron mass ratio. These bounds differ mostly due to the energy scale of the systems where the experiments are performed. In this article, we obtain bounds on these parameters in the modified gravity context using Gaia-DR2 massive white dwarf data and show that the bounds alter as the gravity theory changes. This exploration not only indicates strong support for nonnegligible influences of modified gravity in astrophysical scenarios in high-density regimes but also reveals that the bounds on the fundamental parameters can be much stronger under alternate gravity theories.

Keywords

• White dwarf stars
• Scalar-tensor-vector gravity
• Chandrasekhar limit
• Mass ratio
• Stellar structures
• Stellar masses