Does the Planck length expand in a FRW universe?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the behavior of Planck length (##l_P##) in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe. It is established that while ##l_P## has dimensions of proper length, it is a physical constant and does not expand with the scale factor ##a(t)##. Instead, as the universe expands, the proper distance between comoving objects increases, leading to a greater ratio of proper distance to Planck length. This indicates that the number of Planck lengths between two comoving objects increases over time.

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  • Understanding of Einstein's field equations
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jcap
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By using particle physics natural units with ##\hbar=c=1## so that Planck's length ##l_P=(8\pi G)^{1/2}## we can express Einstein's field equations as
$$G_{\mu\nu}=l_P^2\ T_{\mu\nu},$$
where ##G_{\mu\nu}## has dimension ##[\hbox{proper length}]^{-2}##, ##l_P## has dimension ##[\hbox{proper length}]##, ##T_{\mu\nu}## has dimension ##[\hbox{proper length}]^{-4}##.

In cosmology we assume the expanding FRW metric. If we assume flat space for simplicity and cartesian coordinates then we have the following line element
$$ds^2=-dt^2+a^2(t)\left(dx^2+dy^2+dz^2\right).$$
Therefore an interval of proper length in the x-direction for example is given by
$$ds=a(t)dx$$
If ##l_P## is a proper length then should it expand with the scale factor ##a(t)## or should it remain constant?

In order for it to remain constant then its corresponding comoving interval ##dx \sim 1/a## which seems unnatural to me.

Therefore I think that as ##l_P## is a proper length it should expand with the scale factor ##a(t)##.

Does this make sense?
 
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jcap said:
If ##l_P## is a proper length

##l_P## isn't a proper length. It's a physical constant that happens to have units of proper length.

The proper length ##ds = a(t) dx## is the proper distance between two events happening at the same time ##t## and separated by a spacelike coordinate interval ##dx##. If we hold ##dx## constant (i.e., we have two comoving objects), this proper distance increases with ##t##, since ##a(t)## does. So the ratio of ##ds## to ##l_P##, i.e., the number of Planck lengths between the two comoving objects, will increase.
 
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