Further evidence for cosmological evolution of the fine structure constant

We describe the results of a search for time variability of the fine structure constant α using absorption systems in the spectra of distant quasars. Three large optical data sets and two 21 cm and mm absorption systems provide four independent samples, spanning ∼23% to 87% of the age of the universe. Each sample yields a smaller α in the past and the optical sample shows a 4σ deviation: Δα/α = -0.72±0.18×10-5 over the redshift range 0.5