Natural Laws of the Universe (eBook)

Understanding Fundamental Constants

Benedicte Leclercq, Jean-Philippe Uzan (Autoren)

eBook Download: PDF

2010 | 1. Auflage
136 Seiten
Springer New York (Verlag)
978-0-387-74081-2 (ISBN)

Infos

This book examines constants, the role they play in the laws of physics, and whether indeed constants can be verified. From the laboratory to the depths of space, it explores the paths of gravitation, general relativity and new theories such as that of superstrings. Coverage investigates the solidity of the foundations of physics and discusses the implications of the discovery of the non-constancy of a constant. The book even goes beyond the subject of constants to explain and discuss many ideas in physics, encountering along the way, for example, such exciting details as the discovery of a natural nuclear reactor at Oklo in Gabon.

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Constants, such as the gravitational constant and the speed of light, are present in all the laws of physics. Recent observations have cast doubt on one of them. Does this mean that the structure of physics will crumble? Are we seeing the dawn of a scientific revolution? This book is written in the form of an enquiry into the importance of a possible variation in fundamental constants. Jean-Philippe Uzan and Benedicte Leclercq ask such questions as: What is a constant? What role do constants play in the laws of physics? How can we verify that they are indeed constants?This highly instructive survey of physics, from the laboratory to the depths of space, explores the paths of gravitation, general relativity and new theories such as that of superstrings. It is complete and coherent, and goes beyond the subject of constants to explain and discuss many ideas in physics, encountering along the way, for example, such exciting details as the discovery of a natural nuclear reactorat Oklo in Gabon.

Inhalt

Table of Contents 5
Foreword 8
Acknowledgements 10
Introduction 11
CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS 11
SEARCHLIGHTS INTO THE PAST 11
INSPIRED-OR CRANKY? 12
THE JOYS OF OXYMORON 15
'CONSTANTOLOGY' 16
1 Foundations: universality in physics 17
UNIVERSAL TRUTHS 18
HARMONIUS ELLIPSES 19
INERTIA AND RELATIVITY 23
THA FALL... OF ACCEPTED IDEAS 24
'GRAVE' REVELATION: GRAVITY 25
MEASURE IN ALL THINGS 27
THE VALUE OF A CONSTANT 29
A FRUITFUL EXPEDITION 30
2 Fundamental constants: pillars of the edifice 31
AN INVENTORY OF CONSTANTS 31
THE FLAVOUR OF THE TIMES 32
A 'SELECT' LIST 33
THE LIMITS OF EXPLANATION 34
A CLASSIFICATION OF CONSTANTS 35
ONE WEIGHT, ONE MEASURE 35
THE DECIMAL SYSTEM 37
AN INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM 38
THE ATOM: A UNIVERSAL REFERENCE 40
MEASURING TIME 42
THE EVOLUTION OF CONSTANTS 43
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CONSTANTS 44
THE INQUIRY GOES ON 45
3 Planning the edifice: structure of theories 46
FAST, BUT THERE IS A LIMIT 46
A EAVE... 48
...AND AN ELECTROMAGNETIC ONE 50
THE INVISIBLE ETHER 50
NEW SYNTHESES 52
G FOR 'GREAT LEAPS FORWARD' 53
GRAVITY AND SPACE-TIME 55
GENERAL RELATIVITY: FROM SUCCESS TU SUCCESS 56
GETTING TO GRIPS WITH THE BLACK BODY 57
QUANTA OF LIGHT 60
A OLANETARY SYSTEM IN THE ATOM 61
SOME DISCONCERTING PHYSICS 63
SYNTHSES AND LIMITS 63
THE CUBE OF PHYSICAL THEORIES 65
4 Proportions: dimensionless parameters 68
COHERENT UNITS 68
THE SYSTÈME IN INTERNATIONAL 69
A TRIO OF IRREDUCIBLES 70
DIMENSIONLESS PHYSICS? 72
NATURAL UNITS 73
ESSENTIAL PARAMETERS 75
WHAT IF THEY WERE DIFFERENT? 76
PRIME SUSPECT 78
5 Atoms under close examination 80
THE LINES EXPLAINED 80
FINE STRUCTURE... 82
...AND YET FINER 85
ATOMIC CLOCKS 86
TWO CLOCKS KEEP TABS ON EACH OTHER 87
NUCLRAE STABILITY AND INSTABILITY 88
CHAIN REACTION 89
SPY STORY 91
A NATURAL REACTOR 91
A CONSTANT CONSTANT! 92
EVIDENCE FROM METEORITES 93
6 A constant in the clouds 95
SURVEYORS OF THE SKY 96
SPECTRAL SHADOWS 98
A BRIED HISTORY OF PALAEOSPECTROSCOPY 99
BEACONS IN THE UNIVERSE 100
DOUBLETS 103
MULTIPLETS 104
SPOT THE ERROR 106
TRICKS OF MAGNESIUM 107
THE RED GIANT REVISITED 108
BEYOND QUASARS 109
VARIATION ON ANOTHER THEME 110
7 What if they did vary? Gravity waits in the qings 113
FORCES TO BE UNIFIED 113
ENLARGING THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 115
DIRAC'S OFFSPRING 117
GENERAL RELATIVITY: TRIAL BY CONSTANTS 118
DARK IDESA FOR COSMOLOGISTS 123
THE COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT & CO.
8 Strings attached: towards miltiple universrs 127
THE HARMONY OF THE WORLD 127
HOW MANY PARAMETERS ARE UNDETERMINED? 128
THE OBSERVER: A NECESSARY CONDITION 130
CHOOSING THE RIGHT UNIVERSE 131
FINAL REPORT 133
HUNGRY PHYSICS 134
A PROMISING FUTURE 134
Bibliography 135
Index 137

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 2.4.2010
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Astronomie / Astrophysik
• Themenwelt: Technik
• ISBN-10: 0-387-74081-3 / 0387740813
• ISBN-13: 978-0-387-74081-2 / 9780387740812