Searching for space and time variations in the fundamental constants of nature

The results of a very large study of around 300 quasar absorption systems using data from two telescopes provide hints that there is a spatial gradient in the variation of the fine structure constant, alpha. In one direction on the sky alpha appears to have been smaller in the past, while in the other direction it appears to have been larger. The data from both telescopes give the same direction and magnitude for the alpha gradient, which has an overall significance of 4.2σ compared to a no-gradient (constant offset) model. A remarkable result such as this must be independently confirmed by complementary astronomical and laboratory searches. 

We discuss how terrestrial measurements of time-variation of the fundamental constants in the laboratory, meteorite data, and analysis of the Oklo nuclear reactor can be used to corroborate the spatial variation observed by astronomers. In particular we discuss next generation atomic and nuclear clocks that could provide the precision required to corroborate the spatial variation observed by astronomers.