Effect of α variation on the vibrational spectrum of Sr 2

We consider the effect of α variation on the vibrational spectrum of Sr2 in the context of a planned experiment to test the stability of μ≡me/mp using optically trapped Sr2 molecules [Zelevinsky et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 043201 (2008); Kotochigova et al., Phys. Rev. A 79, 012504 (2009)]. We find the prospective experiment to be 3 to 4 times less sensitive to fractional variation in α as it is to fractional variation in μ. Depending on the precision ultimately achieved by the experiment, this result may give justification for the neglect of α variation or, alternatively, may call for its explicit consideration in the interpretation of experimental results.