Thinking BIG

J.H. Eberly Center for Coherence and Quantum Optics, and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA

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Here we develop an informal speculation, which is focused on the existence of fundamental scales for measures of physical interest. In the present case, the scale of interest is the one for energy density, or pressure, for which a fundamental scale is not commonly known. Currently, however, the results being achieved in connection with high, and particularly extremely high, values of energy density are of interest. These speculative remarks are submitted as a contribution to the celebration of a birthday anniversary of Iwo Bialynicki-Birula and address the possibility that a search for the missing energy density scale can conceal and/or reveal something of fundamental interest. This may be particularly true, thinking of a search for such a scale, because a parallel example, a search of historical significance for a new physical scale, can be cited. The present author has enjoyed knowing Professor Iwo Białynicki-Birula, and thanks him for the continuing pleasure of communication and consultation, as well as for a period of random occasions of table tennis warfare, and a close cooperation shared thirty years after that, which is recalled here.

DOI:10.12693/APhysPolA.143.9 topics: fundamental physical scales, unit of largeness, unit of smallness, serendipity