DIMENSIONLESS FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS OF PHYSICS: DEFINITION AND ANALYSIS

Abstract

Formulation of the problem. Earlier (Kuzmenkov, 2021b) we formed our list of fundamental physical constants, which we determined according to the new criteria proposed by us. However, the numerical values of these physical constants depend on the units of measurement, which are the result of agreements, that is, these numerical values – are conventional, therefore, they are subjective in nature. It is possible to get rid of this conventionality by going to dimensionless quantities. However, different authors justify different lists of dimensionless fundamental constants. Therefore, the goal of our research is to define and substantiate a complete group of dimensionless fundamental constants of physics, which are necessary and sufficient to characterize our Universe.

Materials and methods. The conducted research was based on the works of such authors as Y.L. Rosenthal (1984), P. Davis (1985), L.B. Okun (1991), K.A. Tomilin (2006), O.P. Spiridonov (2015) and was carried out through systematization, comparative analysis, theoretical understanding of scientific publications and educational literature, generalization and clarification of ideas of scientists.

Results. As a result, the introduction of dimensionless fundamental constants is substantiated on the basis that, firstly, it deprives them of their conventionality; secondly, precisely, the dimensionless constants of strong , electromagnetic  and weak interaction  are the key parameters of the modern physical theory  – the Standard Model. To these three constants, in our opinion, it is necessary to add the dimensionless fundamental constant of the gravitational interaction  determined by the mass of the proton. The mass of the proton, as we determined earlier, is a fundamental physical constant, and the proton is the basis of the baryonic matter of the Universe (the neutron is unstable in its free state). The list of dimensionless fundamental constants that we created looks like this: constants , , , , the ratio of mass proton and electron , the ratio of mass neutron and proton , the ratio of the difference in the masses of neutron and proton to the average mass of a nucleon  (and there must be exactly three such ratios, otherwise the principle of correspondence between dimensional and dimensionless constants will be violated), the dimension of space and the dimensionless Hubble constant .

Conclusions. So, we have formed a complete (to date) group of dimensionless fundamental constants of physics. Elucidation of the status of the cosmological constant Λ and substantiation of the completeness of the group of fundamental constants, both dimensional and dimensionless, are subject to further development.