Asri-unix.914
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utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ARPAVAX:C70:sri-unix!ES@MIT-MC
Sat Mar 6 20:23:54 1982
Constancy of c and G.
The speed of light, c, and gravitational constant, G, are constant
in the general theory of relativity. A variable c would imply either
a preferred coordinate system with respect to which an absolute velocity
could be measured, or a medium (the ether) whose elastic vibrations
constitute electromagnetic radiation. The conjecture (not established
fact) of a variable G arises as follows. An electron and proton are
electrically attracted about 10^40 times stronger than they are
gravitationally attracted. Also, the radius of the known universe
is about 10^40 times the radius of a proton. Dirac suggested that so
large a number as 10^40 could not occur by coincidence, and that perhaps
G scales inversely with the radius of the universe. This has some
consequences for celestial mechanics and geophysics, and I vaguely
seem to remember that the observations are not consistent with the
dG/dt required by the Hubble constant. More elaborate conjectures
attempt to incorporate the estimate that the number of protons in the
known universe is about (10^40)^2. Unlike the case of a variable c,
I believe it is possible to concoct a theory with variable G without
violating either experimental observation or strongly believed basic
principles.
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