Posted on 08/14/2007 10:52:09 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
[Jane H] MacGibbon's analysis indicates that if the electric charge quantum is changing, it is due to the coupling between the cosmic background radiation and electrons. The photon soup acts to partially screen the charge of the electron. At the beginning of the universe, these photons were highly energetic, and were more effective at charge screening than they are now that they have cooled to near absolute zero. Although not addressed by MacGibbon's paper, this indicates an avenue of future work, where the form of the coupling and the rate of change of the electric charge quantum is derived using standard model physics. It also points to an unknown value for the unscreened electric charge quantum -- a value that is still unexplained by the standard model.
(Excerpt) Read more at arstechnica.com ...
Black Hole Constraints on Varying Fundamental ConstantsAbstract: Here we apply the Generalized Second Law of Thermodynamics and derive upper limits on the variation in the fundamental constants. The maximum variation in the electronic charge permitted for black holes accreting and emitting in the present cosmic microwave background corresponds to a variation in the fine structure constant of ((Delta alpha) / alpha) ~ 2 x 10^-23 per second. This value matches the variation measured by Webb et al. using absorption lines in the spectra of distant quasars and suggests the variation mechanism may be a coupling between the electron and the cosmic photon background.
Jane H MacGibbon
Physical Review Letters
last revised 13 Aug 2007
Yeah, I’ve been wondering how that worked.
Photon soup is too light. I prefer photon chowder. I discovered photon chowder by accident; I lepton the soup too long.
Don't feel bad. We all have our little quarks.
:’)
Of course if you eat too much photon chili, you have to deal with the photon torpedoes afterwards...
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