How Would Confirmed Varying Constants Impact Loop Quantum Gravity?

[Sauron]

Today someone has asked me about the evidences about the variations of fundamental constants (mainly alpha)

As it is known that variation attemps versus the equivalence principle.

So i wonder, if that variation would be irrefutably confirmed how would it affect LQG?

I mean, LQG depends strongly in the equivalence principle. If that is violated from the very first still makes sense to do LQG?

I remeber that Magueijo, on ofthe more active researchers in VSL´s had gone to the perimeter institute soi suspect it can be some workaround to do LQG even if alpha is not a constant. Someone has detaills?

 

[Mike2]

Today someone has asked me about the evidences about the variations of fundamental constants (mainly alpha)

As it is known that variation attemps versus the equivalence principle.

So i wonder, if that variation would be irrefutably confirmed how would it affect LQG?

I mean, LQG depends strongly in the equivalence principle. If that is violated from the very first still makes sense to do LQG?

I remeber that Magueijo, on ofthe more active researchers in VSL´s had gone to the perimeter institute soi suspect it can be some workaround to do LQG even if alpha is not a constant. Someone has detaills?

I saw an article a couple of days ago which says that the spectral lines of very distant quazars indicate that the fundamental constants may have been differents in the early universe. Did anyone else catch that article?

Yes, I wonder how this would effect LQG. And I wonder how that would effect the accelerating expansion rate of the univerese.

Yea, just found it. The article is here:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13816702/

For example, if the fine structure constant was stronger in the past, would that mean that supernovae would be brighter in the past than today so that their dimmer appearance means they are farther away than expected so that the cosmological expansion is accelerating more than expected?

 

[Entropia]

Thank you for bringing up this interesting topic. The question of varying fundamental constants, specifically the fine structure constant alpha, is a highly debated and researched area in physics. The concept of varying constants challenges the fundamental principles of physics, including the equivalence principle and the concept of a universal set of physical laws.

If it were to be irrefutably confirmed that alpha does vary, it would certainly have significant implications for theories such as Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG). LQG is heavily dependent on the equivalence principle, which states that the laws of physics should be the same for all observers, regardless of their location or motion. If this principle is violated, it would call into question the validity of LQG and other theories that rely on it.

However, it is important to note that the concept of varying constants is still a highly debated and speculative area of research. While there have been some indications of possible variations in alpha from certain experiments, these results are not yet conclusive and require further investigation. Additionally, there are alternative explanations for these variations that do not necessarily challenge the equivalence principle.

Regarding the work of Dr. Magueijo at the Perimeter Institute, it is true that he has been a proponent of varying speed of light (VSL) theories which suggest that the speed of light, and therefore the fine structure constant, may vary over time. However, his work and that of other researchers in this area is still considered speculative and has not yet been widely accepted by the scientific community.

In conclusion, while the concept of varying constants raises interesting questions and challenges our current understanding of physics, it is still a highly debated and speculative area of research. The implications for theories such as LQG are not yet clear and require further investigation and confirmation before any definitive conclusions can be made.