ON THE FINE STRUCTURE CONSTANT IN A PLASMA MODEL OF THE FLUCTUATING VACUUM SUBSTRATUM

SUMMARY The existence of an intimate connection between the quivering motion of electrons and positrons (Zitterbewegung), predicted by the Dirac equation, and the zero-point fluctuations of the vacuum is suggested. The nature of the proposed connection is discussed qualitatively and an approximate self-consistency relation is derived, supplying a purely mathematical expression that relates the dimensionless coupling strengths (fine structure constants) of electromagnetism and gravity. These considerations provide a tentative explanation for the heretofore puzzling number α⁻¹ ≈ 137.036, and suggest that attempts to unify gravity with the electroweak and strong interaction will ultimately prove successful. Submitted to Il Nuovo Cimento, October, 1985Revised, May, 1986