Abstract
We use geochronological and cosmological data to obtain upper limits on the rates of change of the following “constants”: proton mass, neutron mass, fine structure constant, weak interaction constant, strong interaction constant, and “range” of nuclear forces. If the rates of change of all these constants are correlated, then the available data permit changes much in excess of the limits that have been obtained by Dyson and others from the assumption that only one or two constants change. As an application of our results, we note that the disagreement between atomic time and ephemeris time reported by Van Flandern can be explained by a change in an atomic constant (magnetic moment of proton or, equivalently, pion mass) rather than a change in the gravitational constant.
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Ohanian, H.C. Cosmological changes in atomic and nuclear constants. Found Phys 7, 391–404 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00711490
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00711490