Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 112502 (2013) [5 pages]
Viability of Carbon-Based Life as a Function of the Light Quark Mass
Evgeny Epelbaum1, Hermann Krebs1, Timo A. Lähde2, Dean Lee3, and Ulf-G. Meißner2,4,5
1Institut für Theoretische Physik II, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44870 Bochum, Germany
2Institut für Kernphysik, Institute for Advanced Simulation, and Jülich Center for Hadron Physics, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
3Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
4Helmholtz-Institut für Strahlen- und Kernphysik and Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics, Universität Bonn, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
5JARA—High Performance Computing, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
Abstract
The Hoyle state plays a crucial role in the helium burning of stars that have reached the red giant stage. The close proximity of this state to the triple-alpha threshold is needed for the production of carbon, oxygen, and other elements necessary for life. We investigate whether this life-essential condition is robust or delicately fine-tuned by measuring its dependence on the fundamental constants of nature, specifically the light quark mass and the strength of the electromagnetic interaction. We show that there exist strong correlations between the alpha-particle binding energy and the various energies relevant to the triple-alpha process. We derive limits on the variation of these fundamental parameters from the requirement that sufficient amounts of carbon and oxygen be generated in stars. We also discuss the implications of our results for an anthropic view of the Universe.
© 2013 American Physical Society
URL: http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.112502
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.112502
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