When we think of the universe, we visualize it as a circuit where something is the product of something. This infinite energy system that is full of forces and elements that set a giant machine in motion. Eventually, human beings have explored the cosmos with the possibility of clarifying their origin and today have found a “magic number”, which could explain the connection between the entire universe.
Buckmisnter Fuller, architect and one of the first ecologists, conceived everything under a systemic theory. He believed that there was nothing in this world that was an individual or autonomous entity. Everything started from a network where energy comes and goes to the cosmos infinitely.
Image: Sakkmesterke/Science Photo Library
Now, Fuller’s philosophy is honored through his foundation and teaches thought about the interconnectedness of the entire universe. However, years later and enjoying the advancement of technology, it seems that science found proof that the universe is separated from an individual quality and is actually a whole.
The magic number of the universe
With tremendous precision, physicists managed to determine the “magic number.” The figure that reveals the fine structure constant that shows the strength of electromagnetic forces between elementary particles such as electrons and protons.
This number is often used in formulas related to matter and light. It has no dimensions or units, since it is a pure number. This is practically the key to the functioning of the standard model of physics.
Defining this fine structure with this level of accuracy is ultimately not an easy task, since its definition can determine a new type of physics. In a sense, the precise value of the magic number of the universe would help make predictions more accurately, open new avenues of exploration and even discover new particles that help understand dark matter or energy.
How was this cosmic figure found?
The team of physicists led by Saïda Guellati-Khélifa in Paris used the matter wave interferometry technique to apply a superposition of electromagnetic waves. Through this process they are able to cause an interference pattern, which is then analyzed to obtain more data.
According to this new experiment to obtain the new fine structure constant value, the scientists directed a laser beam at supercold rubidium atoms to make them recoil while absorbing and emitting photons. The kinetic energy produced was then measured to deduce the mass of the atom. Subsequently, the mass of the electron is calculated so that the constant α is found by taking the mass of the electron and the bond energy of an atom.
Image: ER Fuller/National Science Foundation
Through this entire process that we quickly summarize for you, physicists found the magic number of the universe in which α= 1/137.03599920611. Although, this is not the complete number, as there are two more digits left to discover.
This number is the strength of electromagnetic forces of elementary particles that bind the universe into a whole. We may not know how precisely the force is distributed in particles, but today the fine structure was discovered that gives physics a little more precision.