Gravitational Coupling Constant Research Articles

Palaeogravity from the Compaction of Fine-grained Sediments

IT has been suggested that the gravitational coupling constant may have been weakening1–4 or the Earth's radius increasing5 over geological time. Either effect would cause a decrease in gravity (g) at the Earth's surface. The rate of any such decrease is likely to be roughly 1 part in 109 per year (ref. 6). But Faytel'son7,8 has reported g varying throughout large areas of the Soviet Union, with mean rates over a decade of roughly ±1 part in 107 per year. This rules out the possibility of direct measurements of any steady decrease, and to obtain mean rates of change over millions of years a gravity sensitive geological system is required. The effect of a declining gravity force on the compaction of sediments may provide a suitable indicator9.

On the gravitational coupling constant of elementary particles

On the gravitational coupling constant of elementary particles

Flat theory of gravitation

We construct a Lorentz-covariant theory of gravitation with linear field equations which accounts for all the observational facts,i.e., the three tests of general relativity, with only one adjustable parameter apart from the gravitational coupling constant. The equations of motion of the theory arise both from a variational principle and from the conservation law of the total energy-momentum tensor of the system. The conservation law of mass is also satisfied.

General Relativity and the Divergence Problem in Quantum Field Theory

Possible physical consequences of general relativity for the elementary particle problem have usually been assumed to be negligible, due to the weakness of the gravitational coupling constant. It has been felt that since the effects of the new particles and the energies at which current theory becomes invalid occur very much below the domain for which gravitation becomes significant, a correct future theory will obviate the necessity of considering relativity in this context. It is presumed that, in any case, such a correct theory will differ so radically from current ideas, that arguments based on these will lose their validity. Further, general relativity is sometimes thought to be purely macroscopic in applicability, and to lose its meaning in subatomic regions where the concept of metric (or possibly metric operator) is not very transparent.