Alpha is not a fundamental constant, alpha is a ratio: (in cgs) alpha = (e^2)/(h-bar)c. However, this is not alpha either, hence exploitable loopholes,
alpha = (e^2)/4(pi)(e_0)(h-bar)c
or
alpha = (e^2)c(mu_0)/2h
The cgs statcoulomb is defined with [4(pi)(e_0)] = 1 or with a like manipulation of mu_0, the electric permittivity or magnetic permeability of free space respectively. Pi, electrons, lightspeed, and Planck’s constant are robust values.
e_0 and mu_0 can be altered at will, e.g., inside a Casimir gap as the Scharnhorst effect (Rabi vacuum oscillation, electron anomalous g-factor, etc.). Alpha may be a weak function of what, how much, and how space is filled with matter and fields. SWAG time! Test alpha as Casimatter – a lump of stuff that is *only* Casimir etalons.
Casimir force varies as 1/d^4, “d” being reflector spacing. Yer gonna need a very small gap for measurable high order anomalies.
The smallest fabricatable solid transparent Casimir gap is optical half-pathlength ~60 nm created by 70 nm-thick aluminum reflectors spaced with 37 nm of 60:40 MgF2:LiF alloy, weighted refractive index (at 120 nm) 1.628. The alloy matches aluminum’s linear coefficient of thermal expansion, 23.1 ppm/K. Smaller gaps (shorter wavelengths) do not have efficient reflectors (95 % reflectance for oxide-free Al at 120 nm) or transparent spacers (95 % transmission for the fluoride alloy).
Imagine a flat torus in hard vacuum spinning just above a cluster of alternate magnetron sputtering sectors of Al and 60:40 MgF2:LiF alloy. A continuous flat spiral bifilar deposition results: Al, optical alloy, Al, optical alloy… Cut out a section to have Casimatter, stuff that is nothing but a stack of Casimir etalons. Work the material densities to see that 37 wt-% is vacuum zero point fluctuation-depleted fluoride alloy.
Play with that (e.g., inject F-centers and look for electronic anomalies). Physics demands chemistry is derivable and therefore irrelevant. Ask a physicist for an aspirin. Does he derive it or open a bottle?
Alpha is not a fundamental constant, alpha is a ratio: (in cgs) alpha = (e^2)/(h-bar)c. However, this is not alpha either, hence exploitable loopholes,
alpha = (e^2)/4(pi)(e_0)(h-bar)c
or
alpha = (e^2)c(mu_0)/2h
The cgs statcoulomb is defined with [4(pi)(e_0)] = 1 or with a like manipulation of mu_0, the electric permittivity or magnetic permeability of free space respectively. Pi, electrons, lightspeed, and Planck’s constant are robust values.
e_0 and mu_0 can be altered at will, e.g., inside a Casimir gap as the Scharnhorst effect (Rabi vacuum oscillation, electron anomalous g-factor, etc.). Alpha may be a weak function of what, how much, and how space is filled with matter and fields. SWAG time! Test alpha as Casimatter – a lump of stuff that is *only* Casimir etalons.
Casimir force varies as 1/d^4, “d” being reflector spacing. Yer gonna need a very small gap for measurable high order anomalies.
The smallest fabricatable solid transparent Casimir gap is optical half-pathlength ~60 nm created by 70 nm-thick aluminum reflectors spaced with 37 nm of 60:40 MgF2:LiF alloy, weighted refractive index (at 120 nm) 1.628. The alloy matches aluminum’s linear coefficient of thermal expansion, 23.1 ppm/K. Smaller gaps (shorter wavelengths) do not have efficient reflectors (95 % reflectance for oxide-free Al at 120 nm) or transparent spacers (95 % transmission for the fluoride alloy).
Imagine a flat torus in hard vacuum spinning just above a cluster of alternate magnetron sputtering sectors of Al and 60:40 MgF2:LiF alloy. A continuous flat spiral bifilar deposition results: Al, optical alloy, Al, optical alloy… Cut out a section to have Casimatter, stuff that is nothing but a stack of Casimir etalons. Work the material densities to see that 37 wt-% is vacuum zero point fluctuation-depleted fluoride alloy.
Play with that (e.g., inject F-centers and look for electronic anomalies). Physics demands chemistry is derivable and therefore irrelevant. Ask a physicist for an aspirin. Does he derive it or open a bottle?