The Natural Laws of the Universe: Understanding Fundamental Constants

Cover......Page 1
The Natural Laws of the Universe: Understanding Fundamental Constants......Page 4
9780387734545......Page 5
Table of Contents......Page 6
Foreword......Page 10
Acknowledgements......Page 12
SEARCHLIGHTS INTO THE PAST......Page 14
INSPIRED-OR CRANKY?......Page 15
THE JOYS OF OXYMORON......Page 18
\'CONSTANTOLOGY\'......Page 19
1 Foundations: universality in physics......Page 20
UNIVERSAL TRUTHS......Page 21
HARMONIUS ELLIPSES......Page 22
INERTIA AND RELATIVITY......Page 26
THA FALL... OF ACCEPTED IDEAS......Page 27
\'GRAVE\' REVELATION: GRAVITY......Page 28
MEASURE IN ALL THINGS......Page 30
THE VALUE OF A CONSTANT......Page 32
A FRUITFUL EXPEDITION......Page 33
AN INVENTORY OF CONSTANTS......Page 34
THE FLAVOUR OF THE TIMES......Page 35
A \'SELECT\' LIST......Page 36
THE LIMITS OF EXPLANATION......Page 37
ONE WEIGHT, ONE MEASURE......Page 38
THE DECIMAL SYSTEM......Page 40
AN INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM......Page 41
THE ATOM: A UNIVERSAL REFERENCE......Page 43
MEASURING TIME......Page 45
THE EVOLUTION OF CONSTANTS......Page 46
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CONSTANTS......Page 47
THE INQUIRY GOES ON......Page 48
FAST, BUT THERE IS A LIMIT......Page 50
A WAVE.........Page 52
THE INVISIBLE ETHER......Page 54
NEW SYNTHESES......Page 56
G FOR \'GREAT LEAPS FORWARD\'......Page 57
GRAVITY AND SPACE-TIME......Page 59
GENERAL RELATIVITY: FROM SUCCESS TO SUCCESS......Page 60
GETTING TO GRIPS WITH THE BLACK BODY......Page 61
QUANTA OF LIGHT......Page 64
A PLANETARY SYSTEM IN THE ATOM......Page 65
SYNTHESES AND LIMITS......Page 67
THE CUBE OF PHYSICAL THEORIES......Page 69
COHERENT UNITS......Page 72
THE SYSTÈME IN INTERNATIONAL......Page 73
A TRIO OF IRREDUCIBLES......Page 74
DIMENSIONLESS PHYSICS?......Page 76
NATURAL UNITS......Page 77
ESSENTIAL PARAMETERS......Page 79
WHAT IF THEY WERE DIFFERENT?......Page 80
PRIME SUSPECT......Page 82
THE LINES EXPLAINED......Page 84
FINE STRUCTURE.........Page 86
...AND YET FINER......Page 89
ATOMIC CLOCKS......Page 90
TWO CLOCKS KEEP TABS ON EACH OTHER......Page 91
NUCLEAR STABILITY AND INSTABILITY......Page 92
CHAIN REACTION......Page 93
A NATURAL REACTOR......Page 95
A CONSTANT CONSTANT!......Page 96
EVIDENCE FROM METEORITES......Page 97
6 A constant in the clouds......Page 100
SURVEYORS OF THE SKY......Page 101
SPECTRAL SHADOWS......Page 103
A BRIED HISTORY OF PALAEOSPECTROSCOPY......Page 104
BEACONS IN THE UNIVERSE......Page 105
DOUBLETS......Page 108
MULTIPLETS......Page 109
SPOT THE ERROR......Page 111
TRICKS OF MAGNESIUM......Page 112
THE RED GIANT REVISITED......Page 113
BEYOND QUASARS......Page 114
VARIATION ON ANOTHER THEME......Page 115
FORCES TO BE UNIFIED......Page 118
ENLARGING THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK......Page 120
DIRAC\'S OFFSPRING......Page 122
GENERAL RELATIVITY: TRIAL BY CONSTANTS......Page 123
DARK IDESA FOR COSMOLOGISTS......Page 128
THE COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT & CO.......Page 129
THE HARMONY OF THE WORLD......Page 132
HOW MANY PARAMETERS ARE UNDETERMINED?......Page 133
THE OBSERVER: A NECESSARY CONDITION......Page 135
CHOOSING THE RIGHT UNIVERSE......Page 136
FINAL REPORT......Page 138
A PROMISING FUTURE......Page 139
Bibliography......Page 140
Index......Page 142