Fundamental constants in physics and their time dependence

by Harald Fritzsch (University of Munich)

Friday 19 Dec 2008, 11:30 → 12:30 Europe/Zurich

Universite de Geneve, Auditoire 234

In the Standard Model of Particle Physics we are dealing with 28 fundamental constants. The experiments give us the values, but theoretically they are not understood. I will discuss these constants, which are mostly mass parameters. Astrophysical measurements indicate that the finestructure constant is not a real constant, but depends on time. Grand unification then implies also a time variation of the QCD scale. Thus the masses of the atomic nuclei and the magnetic moments of the nuclei will depend on time. The first results on the experiment by T. Haensch in Munich will be discussed.