The fine structure constant at the unification scale equal to 1/4pi?

TL;DR

The paper discusses a topological mechanism suggesting the fine structure constant could be 1/4pi at the unification scale, linking charge quantization to fundamental constants.

Contribution

It proposes that the fine structure constant at the unification scale is 1/4pi, based on a topological charge quantization mechanism.

Findings

Proposes a topological charge quantization mechanism.

Suggests =1/4pi at the unification scale.

Links fundamental charge and magnetic charge to this value.

Abstract

A recently proposed topological mechanism for the quantization of the charge gives the value e_0=\sqrt{\hbar c} for both the fundamental electric and magnetic charges. It is argued that the corresponding fine structure constant \alpha_0=1/4pi could be interpreted as its value at the unification scale.