Related papers: The Fundamental Constants in Physics
The theory of strong interactions, QCD, is described in terms of a few parameters, namely the strong coupling constant alpha_s and the quark masses. We show how these parameters can be determined reliably using computer simulations of QCD…
The time variation of fundamental mass scales can have profound cosmological implications. We investigate a particular model of crossover quintessence which is compatible with all present cosmological observations. This model can also…
It is shown that in the model [3,4] of quantum mechanics besides probability amplitudes, the Planck constant and the Fock space, the cosmological constant also appear in the natural way. The Poisson brackets are generalized for the case of…
Tests of the stability of nature's fundamental constants are one of the cornerstones of the ongoing search for the new physics which is required to explain the recent acceleration of the universe. The two main settings for these tests are…
A possible explanation is offered for the longstanding mystery surrounding the meaning of the fine structure constant. The reasoning is based on a discrete self-similar cosmological paradigm that has shown promise in explaining the general…
We consider an application of precision frequency measurements to searches for possible time variations of the fundamental physical constants. Current laboratory constraints on variations of the fine structure constant alpha and other…
The reader surely knows what particles physics is about: finding building blocks of nature that appear elementary at a given time and study their interactions - so why in the world this essay? The problem is how to arrive at a fundamental…
The current description of fundamental interactions is based on two theories with the status of standard models. The electromagnetic and nuclear interactions are described at a quantum level by the Standard Model of particle physics, using…
We investigate how the universal constants, including the fine structure constant, have varied since the early universe close to the Planck energy scale ($E_P\sim 10^{19}$GeV) and, thus, how they have evoluted over the cosmological time…
Endeavours of the unification of the four fundamental interactions have resulted in a development of theories having cosmological solutions in which low-energy limits of fundamental physical constants vary with time. The validity of such…
In quantum field theory the parameters of the vacuum action are subject to renormalization group running. In particular, the ``cosmological constant'' is not a constant in a quantum field theory context, still less should be zero. In this…
Some methods for the determination and the most precise values of constants of an extended Standard Model, which include the gravitation interaction and massive neutrinos, are presented. Accuracies of constants at different energy scales…
It is possible that fundamental constants may not be constant at all. There is a generally accepted view that one can only talk about variations of dimensionless quantities, such as the fine structure constant $\alpha_{\rm e}\equiv…
This review article is devoted to application of precision molecular spectroscopy to studies of the possible spatial and temporal variations of the fundamental constants. Both astrophysical observations and laboratory experiments are…
The observational evidence for the recent acceleration of the universe demonstrates that canonical theories of cosmology and particle physics are incomplete---if not incorrect---and that new physics is out there, waiting to be discovered. A…
We derive strong observational limits on any possible large-scale spatial variation in the values of physical 'constants' whose space-time evolution is driven by a scalar field. The limits are imposed by the isotropy of the microwave…
The Standard Model of the elementary particles is controlled by more than 20 parameters, of which it is not known today how they can be linked to deeper principles. Any attempt to clean up this theory, in general results in producing more…
We argue that models in which an observable variation of the fine structure constant is explained by motion of a cosmic scalar field, are not stable under renormalization, and require massive fine tuning that cannot be explained by any…
It has been a notably elusive task to find a remotely sensical ansatz for a calculation of Sommerfeld's electrodynamic fine-structure constant alpha_QED ~ 1/137.036 based on first principles. However, this has not prevented a number of…
The continuum of real numbers has served well as a model for physical space in mechanics and field theories. However it is a well-motivated and popular idea that at the fundamental Planck scale the combination of gravitational and quantum…