Fundamental Units: Physics and Metrology

Abstract

The problem of fundamental units is discussed in the context of achievements of both theoretical physics and modern metrology. On one hand, due to fascinating accuracy of atomic clocks, the traditional macroscopic standards of metrology (second, metre, kilogram) are giving way to standards based on fundamental units of nature: velocity of light c and quantum of action h. On the other hand, the poor precision of gravitational constant G, which is widely believed to define the "cube of theories" and the units of the future "theory of everything", does not allow to use G as a fundamental dimensional constant in metrology. The electromagnetic units in SI are actually based on concepts of prerelativistic classical electrodynamics such as ether, electric permitivity and magnetic permeability of vacuum. Concluding remarks are devoted to terminological confusion which accompanies the progress in basic physics and metrology.

Kinematical Conformal Cosmology: Fundamental Parameters from Astrophysical Observations

“…We also remark that our analysis of the time variability of fundamental constants is different from the standard approach to this subject (for reviews, see [55][56][57]). For example, in recent claims of a (very small) time variability of the fine-structure constant, as seen in interstellar absorption spectra [58], the cosmological redshift is obviously factored out from the effect being studied, thus resulting in a very small variation of α em over cosmological scales.…”