How to Change Between Unit Systems w/ ##c \ne 1, \hbar \ne 1, G \ne 1##

In summary: I just send an email to the author for clarification.In summary, it seems that the author has tried to transfer the result back to the normal units, but there may be errors in the calculations.
  • #1
Haorong Wu
413
89
TL;DR Summary
How to change a result from a special unit system back to the normal unit system?
If we use the nature units or the geometrized units, how could we transfer the final result back to the normal units with ##c \ne 1, \hbar \ne 1, G \ne 1##? I know I coule analysis its dimension to multiply them back.

But what about other units system? For example, in a recent paper, the Lagrangian density is given by $$ \mathcal{L}=-(1-\frac m r) \dot t^2+(1- \frac m r)^{-1} \dot r ^2 + r^2 (\dot \theta ^2 +\sin ^2 \theta \dot \phi ^2).$$and ##m=2GM## is the Schwarzschild radius, ##G## is the gravitational constant, and the units are such that ##m=1##.

In the end, the paper give a result that ##O=- \frac {8i a^2} {z_R} (x^2-y^2)## where ##a## is a scaling parameter, ##z_R## is the rayleigh range.

But following this equation, the author gives another equation ##O=- \frac {i9ma^2} {z_R} (x^2-y^2)## where ##m## is the schwarzschild radius of the sun. It seems that the author have transferred the result back to the normal units and there is an extra factor ##\frac {9m} {8}##. But I could not see how to derive it.

I have sent a email to the author, and havn't got replies. I hope maybe some friends here would give me some advice. Thanks!
 
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  • #3
PeterDonis said:
Please give a reference.
Hi, @PeterDonis . It is

Exirifard, Qasem, Eric Culf, and Ebrahim Karimi. "Towards Communication in a Curved Spacetime Geometry." arXiv preprint arXiv:2009.04217 (2020).

It can be downloaded from https://arxiv.org/pdf/2009.04217.pdf

In page 11, after Eq. (S76), it mentions that the units are chosen such that ##m=1##.

Then in page 18, Eq. (S120) gives the expression for operator ##O##. This equation together with Eq. (S112) do not match with the following equation (S123). There is some extra factor where the schwarzschild radius of the sun pops out.
 
  • #4
Haorong Wu said:
Exirifard, Qasem, Eric Culf, and Ebrahim Karimi. "Towards Communication in a Curved Spacetime Geometry." arXiv preprint arXiv:2009.04217 (2020).

Thanks for the reference. On an initial look, it does seem like quite a few steps in their logic are left out. I have not had time to read through it closely enough to work out the missing steps and see whether they match the conclusions the paper is claiming.
 
  • #5
PeterDonis said:
Thanks for the reference. On an initial look, it does seem like quite a few steps in their logic are left out. I have not had time to read through it closely enough to work out the missing steps and see whether they match the conclusions the paper is claiming.
Thanks for your time, @PeterDonis .

In my second look, I analyze the dimensions of the equations. The first one gives the dimension of ##[m]^{-1}## while the second one is ##1##, so maybe it just insert the schwarzschild radius with dimension of ##[m]## to match the dimensions of the two equations.

As for the factor, I think the author may have some errors in the calculations.

However, I am not sure whether this method of dimension analysis is correct.
 

1. How do I convert between unit systems with different values for ##c, \hbar,## and ##G##?

To convert between unit systems with different values for ##c, \hbar,## and ##G##, you will need to use conversion factors. These factors can be found by multiplying the original unit by the value of the desired unit over the value of the original unit. For example, to convert from meters to feet, you would multiply the original measurement in meters by 3.281.

2. Can I use a conversion factor for any unit system?

Yes, conversion factors can be used for any unit system, as long as the values of ##c, \hbar,## and ##G## are known for both systems.

3. How do I know which conversion factor to use?

The conversion factor to use will depend on what units you are converting from and to. You can find conversion factors online or in a physics textbook, or you can calculate them yourself using the values of ##c, \hbar,## and ##G## for both unit systems.

4. Can I convert between unit systems with different values for just one of the constants, such as ##c##?

Yes, you can convert between unit systems with different values for just one of the constants. However, this may result in some discrepancies in your calculations, as the other constants will still be present in the equations.

5. Are there any unit systems that do not require conversion factors?

Yes, there are some unit systems that do not require conversion factors, such as natural units or Planck units. These systems use values of ##c, \hbar,## and ##G## that are equal to 1, making conversions between them unnecessary.

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