Dark Energy and the Time Dependence of Fundamental Particle Constants

Abstract

The cosmic time dependencies of $G$, $α$, $\hbar$ and of Standard Model parameters like the Higgs vev and elementary particle masses are studied in the framework of a new dark energy interpretation. Due to the associated time variation of rulers, many effects turn out to be invisible. However, a rather large time dependence is claimed to arise in association with dark energy measurements, and smaller ones in connection with the Standard Model.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: Schematic depiction of the universe as an elastic substrate made of tiny constituents at 2 times $t_1 < t_2$. In the full tetron model, the 'constituents' are actually tetrahedrons composed out of 'tetrons' and extending into 3 extra dimensions, cf. Fig. 3. However, in physical space, the tetrahedrons are pointlike objects, and since particle physics interactions do not play a role in this part of the paper, one can forget about the internal structure.
• Figure 2: The binding energy E of 2 constituents as a function of their bond length L. At present t=0 one has the Planck energy $E_0$ and the Planck length $L_0$. The expansion of the universe through dark energy corresponds to the elastic bonds expanding towards equilibrium values $E_s$ and $L_s$. In the neighbourhood of $L_s$ the quadratic dependence E(L) of eq. (\ref{['ab222']}) is a good approximation.
• Figure 3: The global ground state of the universe according to the tetron model, after the electroweak symmetry breaking has occurred, considered at Planck scale distances. The big black double arrow represents 3-dimensional physical space. $L_L$ is the magnitude of one tetrahedron within the 3 extra dimensions and $L_0$ the average distance between two neighboring tetrahedrons. The small arrows are the isospin vectors which are aligned in the ground state and whose eigen vibrations are responsible for the quark lepton spectrum. Note that the set of 4 arrows on each tetrahedron itself forms a tetrahedron and that each arrow stands in fact for 2 isospin vectors, namely for the ground states of $\vec{Q}_L$ and $\vec{Q}_R$ defined in (\ref{['eq894bb']}). The figure is a bit misleading, not only because the tetrahedrons do not extend into physical space, but also the relative magnitudes are not correctly drawn. Namely, while $L_L$ is of the order of the Planck length $L_0$, the extension of the tetrahedrons formed by the isospin vectors corresponds to the Fermi scale. While gravity can be attributed to the elasticity of the coordinate bonds, the phenomena of particle physics arise from the interactions between isospin vectors. Our universe thus is a 3-dimensional 'monolayer' of tetrahedrons (with thickness $L_L$) within a 6-dimensional space, each tetrahedron extending into the 3 extra dimensions. The monolayer ground state acts as a background on which quarks and leptons glide as quasiparticle excitations. It has the properties of a Lorentz ether and is thereby not in conflict with Michelson-Morley type of experiments.