Skip to main content

On the conceptual nature of the physical constants

La Rivista del Nuovo Cimento (1971-1977) volume 7, pages 187–214 (1977)Cite this article

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. R. I. Birge:Rev. Mod. Phys.,1, 1 (1929).

    MathSciNet  ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  2. E. R. Cohen, K. M. Crowe andJ. W. M. DuMond:The Fundamental Constants of Physics (New York, N. Y., 1957).

  3. B. N. Taylor, W. H. Parker andD. N. Langenberg:Rev. Mod. Phys.,41, 375 (1969).

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  4. E. R. Cohen:Fundamental physical constants, fromPhys. Today (September 1974).

  5. A. R. Lee andT. M. Kalotas:Amer. Journ. Phys.,43, 434 (1975);J.-M. Lévy-Leblond:Amer. Journ. Phys.,44, 271 (1976) and previous references therein.

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. The experimental facts concerning the photon mass have been reviewed byA. S. Goldhaber andM. M. Nieto:Rev. Mod. Phys.,43, 277 (1971).

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Dirac proposed a time variation of the gravitational constantG. Astrophysical observations ruled out the idea.Gamov then speculated on the time variation of the elementary chargee, but this idea had to be abandoned as well. See the discussion byE. R. Harrison:Physics Today,25 (December 1972), p. 30 and the latest experimental results inA. M. Wolfe, R. L. Brown andM. S. Roberts:Phys. Rev. Lett.,37, 179 (1976).

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. See the modern textbook byC. W. Misner, K. J. Thorne andJ. A. Wheeler:Gravitation (San Francisco, Cal., 1973).

  9. This rival point of view is very clear in the other modern textbook byS. Weinberg:Gravitation and Cosmology (New York, N. Y., 1972).

  10. M. Bunge:Philosophy of Physics (Dordrecht, 1973).

  11. J.-M. Lévy-Leblond: inHalf a Century of Quantum Mechanics, edited byJ. Leite Lopes andM. Paty (Dordrecht, to be published) andDialectica,30, 161 (1976).

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. A. Landé:Amer. Journ. Phys.,43, 701 (1975).

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  13. J.-M. Lévy-Leblond:Amer. Journ. Phys.,44, 1131 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  14. J.-M. Lévy-Leblond:Amer. Journ. Phys.,44, 719 (1976).

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  15. A. Davidon:Found. Phys.,5, 525 (1975).

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  16. J.-M. Lévy-Leblond: inGroup Theoretical Methods in Physics, edited byA. Janner, T. Janssen andM. Boon,Lecture Notes in Physics, Vol.50 (Berlin, 1976).

  17. SeeJ.-M. Lévy-Leblond:Physique et mathématique, inEncyclopaedia Universalis (1971), where the problem is also studied of the reason for this specifity of physics.

  18. See, for instance,E. F. Taylor andJ. A. Wheeler:Spacetime Physics (San Francisco, Cal., 1966).

  19. SeeJ. H. Sanders:The Velocity of Light (London, 1965).

  20. E. R. Cohen andJ. W. M. DuMond:Rev. Mod. Phys.,37, 537 (1965).

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  21. H. B. G. Casimir:Helv. Phys. Acta,41, 741 (1968), reprinted inA random Walk in Science, edited byR. L. Weber andE. Mendoza (London, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  22. J.-M. Lévy-Leblond:Ann. Inst. H. Poincaré,3 A, 1 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  23. M. Jagger andK. Richard:Two Thousand Lightyears from Home (Mirage Music, 1966) recorded bythe Rolling Stones inTheir Satanic Majesties Request, TXS 103 (Decca, 1966).

  24. M. Le Bellac andJ.-M. Lévy-Leblond:Nuovo Cimento,14 B, 217 (1973).

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  25. SeeD. S. L. Cardwell andR. L. Hills: inHistory of Technology, 1976, edited byA. Rupert Hall andN. Smith (London, 1976);A. J. Pacey,Brit. Journ. Hist. Sci.,7, 135 (1974).

  26. Y. Elkana:The Discovery of the Conservation of Energy (London, 1974).

  27. E. A. Abbott:Flatland (New York, N. Y., 1952).

  28. H. Bacry andJ.-M. Lévy-Leblond:Journ. Math. Phys.,9, 1605 (1968).

    ADS  Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  29. T. Kuhn:The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Chicago, Ill., 1962).

  30. E. Inönu andE. P. Wigner:Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci.,39, 510 (1953);40, 119 (1954);E. Saletan:Journ. Math. Phys.,2, 1 (1961).

    MathSciNet  ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  31. J.-M. Lévy-Leblond:Comm. Math. Phys.,6, 286 (1967).

    MathSciNet  ADS  Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  32. C. R. Hagen:Comm. Math. Phys.,18, 97 (1970);C. R. Hagen andW. J. Hurley:Phys. Rev. Lett.,24, 1381 (1970).

    MathSciNet  ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  33. K. Hepp:Comm. Math. Phys.,35, 265 (1974).

    MathSciNet  ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  34. F. J. Dyson andA. Lenard:Journ. Math. Phys.,8, 423 (1967);9, 698 (1968);J. L. Lebowitz andE. H. Lieb:Phys. Rev. Lett.,22, 631 (1969);E. H. Lieb andW. Thirring:Phys. Rev. Lett.,35, 687 (1975).

    MathSciNet  ADS  Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. J. -M. Lévy-Leblond

    Present address: Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Hautes Energies, Université Paris VII, (tour 33-43, ler étage), place Jussieu, 75221, Paris Cedex 05, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, Université Paris VII, Paris

    J. -M. Lévy-Leblond

Authors
  1. J. -M. Lévy-Leblond
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lévy-Leblond, J.M. On the conceptual nature of the physical constants. Riv. Nuovo Cim. 7, 187–214 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02748049

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02748049