Primordial Physical Origin of the Fine-Structure Constant, and some of its Applications

G. Sardin^1,

¹Department of Applied Physics, University of Barcelona, Spain

Cite this paper:
G. Sardin. Primordial Physical Origin of the Fine-Structure Constant, and some of its Applications. International Journal of Physics. 2025; 13(3):55-61. doi: 10.12691/ijp-13-3-2

Abstract

Until now, there is no widely accepted theoretical derivation of the fine-structure constant (α) from first principles. It remains one of the biggest open questions in fundamental physics. There has been many attempts and perspectives on this enduring mystery, and quest to understand the origin of α continues to drive much research. While its significance and measurement are well-established, the fundamental reason for its specific value remained a profound mystery in physics. The key question that endures is: Among of the various pursuits of the fine-structure constant derivation, what is its actual primordial origin? We present a novel approach that provides its primordial physical origin, which has not been reported until now. It arises from the structural properties of the electron itself, specifically from its two structural frequencies: the oscillation frequency: f_o = m_e c² / h and the gyratory frequency: f_g = c / 2 π r_e where r_e is the classical electron radius (r_e = q² / m_e c²). Thus, we obtain:It turns out that the inverse value of the fine-structure constant α^-1 is given by the ratio of these two structural frequencies of the electron. As expressed in the previous formulation, the ratio of its structural gyratory f_g and oscillatory f_o frequencies is equal to the product of the reduced Planck constant and the intrinsic speed of light, divided by the square of the electron’s electric charge. It is thus shown that the ratio f_g / f_o corresponds to the inverse fine-structure constant. The fact that the fine-structure constant is dimensionless has puzzled the physics community, however from our perspective, this is logical since its physical origin lies in the ratio of two frequencies. Furthermore, determining the primordial physical origin of the fine-structure constant and the roots of being dimensionless, reveals various insights of electromagnetism. Since its origin lies in the electron itself, it is consistent that it extends to various features of electromagnetism, as well as in quantum electrodynamics (QED), and more broadly in quantum field theory, and also in the field of subatomic particles. Here, in addition to its physical origin, some of its applications are presented too.

Keywords:
Fine-structure constant Primordial physical origin Electron’s structure Structural gyratory and oscillatory frequencies

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