v 1 2 3 M ay 2 00 3 The New Planck Scale : Quantized Spin and Charge Coupled to Gravity

In the standard approach to defining a Planck scale where gravity is brought into the quantum domain, the Schwarzschild gravitational radius is set equal to the Compton wavelength. However, ignored thereby are the charge and spin, the fundamental quantized aspects of matter. The gravitational and null-surface radii of the Kerr-Newman metric are used to introduce spin and charge into a new extended Planck scale. The fine structure constant appears in the extended Planck mass and the recent discovery of the α variation with the evolution of the universe adds further significance. An extended Planck charge and Planck spin are derived. There is an intriguing suggestion of a connection with the α value governing high-energy radiation in Z-boson production and decay. Traditionally, one derives the Planck mass by equating the gravitational radius 2Gm/c of a Schwarzschild mass with its Compton wavelength h̄/mc. The body has no spin and no charge yet spin and charge are the fundamental quantized aspects of 1 matter. Since the Planck scale is to reflect the quantized union of gravity with matter, surely spin and charge should be incorporated. Fortunately, we have the important couplings of spin and charge to gravity in the form of the Kerr-Newman [1] metric. The gravitational radius corresponds now to the upper sign in