Abstract:
The Ubiquitous occurrence of the Dirac-Eddington large dimensionless
numbers when relating the physical parameters such as mass, radius,
angular momentum etc. of typical astrophys1cal objects like stars and
galax1es to the fundamental constants of atomic physics is currently
interpreted in terms of constants imposed on these parameters as a
result of physical processes underlying the existence of these objects
rather than as chance coincidences, i.e. these relations can be
understood in terms of the underlying physics governing these objects.
Again various cosmolog1cal parameters such as the total number of
nucleons, the photon-to-baryon ratio etc. can be expressed in terms of
these numbers, which again can be understood in terms of the physics
involved. In fact it would appear that Eddington's cloud bound
observer can also get a good idea about the overall mass, size and
background temperature of the universe, apart from his classic
deductions on the masses and luminosities of stars sans observations.
Further the weak and strong interaction coupling constants can be
included in the large number hypothesis (LNH) and dimensionless
relations connecting these constants to cosmological parameters can be
constructed. The gross parameters characterizing the universe such as
overall size and mass can be arrived at from microphysical
considerations involving the fundamental interactions of elementary
particle Physics with interesting relations for the Hubble radius and
closure density obtained entirely in terms of the coupling constants
underlying these interactions. Several other interesting coincidences
and relationships connecting the parameters of cosmology and
elementary particle physics are pointed out. The significance of these
inter-relations is explored especially in connection with the time
variation of the fundamental constants and the unification of
cosmology and quantum physics. The above topics belong close to
Eddington’s interests seem particularly appropriate for discussion at
this meeting.
