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... . Then we can use them to convert
new unit quantities into corresponding SI quantities. For example, how
many meters in the displacement of one GeV^(-1), or how many coulombs in
one dimentionless unit of charge, or how many kilograms in one GeV of mass,
or how many pascals in one GeV^4 of pressure, or how many seconds in the
time interval of one GeV^(-1), or how many amperes in the current of one
GeV, etc. etc.?
Silly, you would say. Yes, it is, if you try to apply DOU to all parts
of physics. But high energy physicists do not do this. They use DOU in a
subfield of physics for which it was conceived.
In that area it offers
several advantages, such as computational convenience, conceptual simplicity
and mental shortcuts. Try to convince a high energy physicist to give up
the GeV based system in favor of SI. S/he would say "I prefer to use both
systems, and not only two of them." And s/he would try to make fun of those
who are slaves of the "one for all" system called SI. As David Bowman, s/he
could say: units are invented to keep things as simple as possible, not to
obscure problems or to create complications. Many physicists still use old
CGSE and CGSM units, even in publications.
I played with DOU while on sabbatical at Brookheaven National Laboratory,
ten years ago. Now I have a chance of sharing what I did. Let me know if
this little essay makes sense to you. I never tried it on anybody else.
Thanks for reading it.
Ludwik Kowalski
P.S.
....
A new diabolic system of unit for anybody? Two for a quoter.