Related papers: What is Special About the Planck Mass?
A hundred years ago, the quantum concept provoked a revolution in science and the search of a new conceptual basis for whole physics, as emphasized by Einstein. In this paper, I discuss the essential features of Planck's works in 1900 on…
Relations between Hamiltonian mechanics and quantum mechanics are studied. It is stressed that classical mechanics possesses all the specific features of quantum theory: operators, complex variables, probabilities (in case of ergodic…
Mass of singularity is defined, and its relation to whether the singularity is spacelike, timelike or null is discussed for spherically symmetric spacetimes. It is shown that if the mass of singularity is positive (negative) the singularity…
We consider fundamental physical constants which are among a few of the most important pieces of information we have learned about Nature after its intensive centuries-long studies. We discuss their multifunctional role in modern physics…
In this talk I will describe the deep influence Planck had on the development of statistical mechanics. At this end I will first outline the theoretical situation of statistical mechanics before Planck. I will then describe his main…
This author's recent proposal of interferometric tests of Planck-scale-related properties of space-time is here revisited from a strictly phenomenological viewpoint. The results announced previously are rederived using elementary…
Starting from astrophysical indications that the fine structure constant might undergo a small cosmological time shift, we discuss the implications of such an effect from the point of view of particle physics. Grand unification implies…
Precision measurements of the fundamental constants are tour de force of basic metrology, where the useful information is usually beyond the last digit of the measured value. They challenge theoretical models and measurement technologies…
For a long time very little experimental information was available about neutrino properties, even though a minute neutrino mass has intriguing cosmological and astrophysical implications. This situation has changed in recent decades:…
Using basic physical arguments, we derive by dimensional and physical analysis the characteristic masses and sizes of important objects in the Universe in terms of just a few fundamental constants. This exercise illustrates the unifying…
There are discernible and fundamental differences between clocks, waves and physical states in classical physics. These fundamental concepts find a common expression in the context of quantum physics in gravitational fields; matter and…
An important open question in fundamental physics concerns the nature of spacetime at distance scales associated with the Planck length. The widespread belief that probing such distances necessitates Planck-energy particles has impeded…
It is considered the model of the homogeneous and isotropic universe. The scale of length is defined via the laboratory scale of time by the motion of photon. This leads to the appearance of the inertial forces. The properties of the space…
Scale dependence of fundamental physical parameters is a generic feature of ordinary quantum field theory. When applied to gravity, this idea produces effective actions generically containing a running Newtonian coupling constant, from…
The origin of quantum physics was the discovery of the base unit of electromagnetic action $h$ by Max Planck in 1900 when he analyzed the experimental results of the black body radiation. This permitted Albert Einstein a few years later to…
We investigate the effects of Quantum Gravity on the Planck era of the universe. In particular, using different versions of the Generalized Uncertainty Principle and under specific conditions we find that the main Planck quantities such as…
We discuss how the bounds on observation associated with the Planck units would affect an observers perception of a black hole. By simply imposing Planck scale quantities as the lower bounds for length, time, and mass of black hole…
At Planck-scale, spacetime is "foamy" due to quantum fluctuations predicted by quantum gravity. Here we consider the possibility of using spacetime foam-induced phase incoherence of light from distant galaxies and gamma-ray bursters to…
The interesting early history of the cosmological term is reviewed, beginning with its introduction by Einstein in 1917 and ending with two papers of Zel'dovich, shortly before the advent of spontaneously broken gauge theories. Beside…
While Quantum Gravity remains elusive and Quantum Field Theory retains the interpretational difficulties of Quantum Mechanics, we have introduced an alternate approach to the unification of particles, fields, space and time, suggesting that…