The Flow
of Gravity
By
William Hamilton III
Space-Ether
Series Paper 2
Revision
1 (12/23/2004)
Abstract:
Introduction
According to Barry C. Mingst (1)
General Relativity’s first postulate is that the source of the
gravitational field is the stress-energy tensor of a perfect fluid, “T”. “T” contains four non-zero components. These four components are the density of the
perfect fluid and the pressure of the perfect fluid in each of the three
physical axes. A perfect fluid in
general relativity is defined as a fluid that has no viscosity and no heat
conduction. This basically describes a
superfluid. In the following sections we
will examine the properties and behaviors of super fluids and see if we can
discover the basis of gravitational force as spatial pressure.
Rev 1:
This theory is in contrast to a rigid space medium theory that postulates
matter waves. Some physicists are now
reviving the ether in an attempt to unify General Relativity and Quantum
Theory.
French physicist Mayeul Arminjon in his Ether Theory of Gravitation: Why and How? (6) writes:
“The first
point is that, in order that it does not brake the motion of material bodies,
the physical vacuum or “micro-ether” must be some kind of a perfect fluid. 8 A “truly perfect” fluid
is free from any thermal effect that is necessarily bound to dissipation,
hence, as noted by Romani [48], it must be perfectly continuous at any scale.
It is then characterized by its pressure and its density, which are connected
by the state equation, and by its velocity.
It exerts only pressure forces. Therefore, if one attempts to introduce
a perfectly fluid ether “filling empty space”, then any interaction forces “at
a distance”, thus including gravity, have to be ultimately explained as
pressure forces, and hence as contact actions. As far as gravitation is
concerned, this is quite simple. I assume that elementary particles are
extended objects. The resultant of the pressure forces exerted on a particle is
Archimedes’ thrust, that is proportional to the volume δV occupied by a given
particle. In order that this force be actually proportional to the mass δm of the particle, it is
hence necessary and sufficient that the average density inside a given
particle, thus ρp = δm/δV , be the same for all
particles—at least at a given (macroscopic) place and at a given time. However,
since the gravitational attraction is a field, the density ρp may also be a field,
whose the space-time variability has to come from that of the pressure in the
fluid, pe. In fact, as is
suggested by the observed transmutations of elementary particles into different
ones, I assume that the particles themselves are made of that microether: each
of them should be some kind of organized flow in this imagined fluid—something
like a vortex. (This is Romani’s idea of a “constitutive ether” [48].) In that
case, the density ρp would
be nothing else than the local density in the fluid, ρe = ρe(pe). Under these
assumptions, the gravity acceleration is obtained as [44]: g = −grad pe/ρe.”
I think that
Arminjon is taking the first steps toward a real unified theory which must be
based on the true properties of space.
It is the density differentials of space and the pressure waves (forces)
of the ether that constitute a foundation for a complete theory of matter and
energy.
Analysis
Super fluid helium is a liquid with unique and
fascinating properties. Below a temperature of about 2 Kelvin 4He,
the most common isotope of helium, it completely looses its viscosity. Once set
in circular motion, for example, it will keep on flowing forever - without
external forces necessary.
Properties
The He II phase is referred to as super fluid
helium because of its remarkable properties, including
1)
the ability to flow through microscopic passages with no apparent
friction;
2)
the quantization of vortices;
3)
And the ability to support four wave modes:
a.
first sound which is analogous to sound in ordinary gases and liquids,
b.
second sound which carries temperature and entropy perturbations with
virtually no pressure variations,
4)
third sound which are waves on thin films,
5)
and fourth sound which are acoustic-like waves in the "super
fluid" component of He II.
The stress-energy tensor
describes the density and pressure of super fluid space.
The equations of the
stress-energy tensor are given:
The
stress energy tensor is a tensor that contains information on the density of
energy, momentum, stresses, etc... contained in the space. As presented in the
definition of mass section the stress-energy tensor of mass is
Tmn
= r0UmUn (1)
The
T00 component of this is
T00
= (dt/dt)2r0c2
The
stress-energy tensor of pressure is
Tmn
= (p/c2)UmUn - gmnp (2)
where
p is the local pressure.
Combining
the stress-energy tensor of pressure with the stress-energy tensor of mass
results in the stress-energy tensor for an ideal fluid
Tmn
= (r 0 + p/c2)UmUn - gmnp (3)
My
suggestion is that the quantized vortices that form in a superfluid are those
that,
in the space-ether superfluid, compose the elementary particles. The assembly and aggregation of these vortices
produce mass. Mass displaces the
surrounding unaggregated fluid which then exerts pressure against the
mass. We can then combine the
stress-energy tensor of mass and pressure to arrive at equation (3).
After glancing at this paper, Mayeul Arminjon
wrote,
“Regarding your
equation:
T00 = (dt/dt)2r0c2
I think you mean (d t /d tau) with tau the proper time, instead of d t / d t
=1.
I think you take U^m = d x^m/d tau. (I take U^m = d x^m / (c d tau)).
I even
think that the ether that you consider is really the same kind as the one I
have in mind. This is essentially Romani's perfectly-fluid (thus superfluid)
ether, in which elementary particles would be vortices. Romani (1975,1976)
described precisely a ring-vortex model for the electron, however he described
the proton as a composite particle made of three different vortices (mind that
this is also what is currently admitted, with 3 quarks).”
Sidelights
on Relativity
In
"Ether and Relativity", 1920, Sidelights on Relativity, page 23,
Einstein writes:
“Recapitulating, we may say that according to the
general theory of relativity space is endowed with physical qualities; in this
sense, therefore, there exists an ether. According to the general theory of
relativity space without an ether is unthinkable; for in such a space there not
only would be no propagation of light, but also no possibility of existence for
standards of space and time (measuring-rods and clocks), nor therefore any
space-time intervals in the physical sense. But this ether may not be thought
of as endowed with the quality characteristic of ponderable media, as
consisting of parts which may be tracked through time. The idea of motion may
not be applied to it.”
Einstein admits that space is endowed with physical
properties, as it must be in order to conform to geometrical distortions and
affirms that, in that sense, there is an ether, but does not ascribe any motion
to this ether. Since further
developments postulated the existence of gravitational waves, it is difficult
to reconcile this early statement with modern thinking on the subject.
Modern view of space
The empty space within atoms or the distant spaces
that separate galaxies is referred to as the physical vacuum. The physical vacuum is considered far from
empty. It is seething with
activity. Physicists describe a vacuum
constantly boiling with virtual particles that appear and disappear out of the
depths of space. The “Casimir Effect” is cited as experimental evidence of this
activity in the physical vacuum.
More recent theorists Carlo Rovelli (
These theories of the physical vacuum are based on
theoretical work in quantum theory and string theory, but may not necessarily
be correct. There is room for other
models including a hydrodynamic model as postulated here.
Observations
There are cosmological phenomena that may be explained
by a hydrodynamic model of space.
Frame
dragging is one of the last frontiers in relativity. And recent observations by astronomers seem
to confirm this prediction by Einstein.
Einstein predicted that the
rotation of an object would alter space and time, dragging a nearby object out
of position compared to predictions by the simpler math of Sir Isaac Newton.
It
is possible to analyze the frame dragging phenomena in terms of an entrained
space-time around massive objects as similar to a fluid vortex that captures a
volume of surrounding fluid and entrains its rotation.
On
a micro scale, the proton-proton collision experiments on the alternating
gradient synchrotron seem to demonstrate that protons behave like spinning
vortices and that anti-parallel spinning protons do not repel one another in
collision whereas parallel spinning protons deflect as one would expect of like
charges. A similar phenomena has been
observed with electrons. It is as if the
anti-parallel spinning protons behave like anti-parallel spinning vortices
where one vortex expands and the other vortex contracts and passes through the
expanded vortex. This behavior is seen
not to be in accord with the quark composition of protons. However, other experiments have been seen to
validate the quark model.
An
illustration depicting a ring model of the proton: (3)
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Figure 1. |
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Figure 2. |
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Another cosmological observation that tends to
support a fluid space model is the so-called dark matter that populates
galactic halos. This halo, or roughly
invisible spherical cloud that surrounds galaxies seems to be entrained by the
rotation of the galaxy. There is much
speculation as to the composition of galactic halos and dark matter.
Gravitational waves are another area of
speculation. According to relativistic
theory gravitational waves are propagating at (or near) the speed of
light. Gravitational waves do not travel
"through" space-time as such -- the fabric of space-time itself is oscillating.
Though gravitational waves pass straight through matter, their strength weakens
proportionally to the distance traveled from the source. Could such waves be found in superfluid
mediums? As with other references to
space, it is the word “fabric” that is most often used. Use of this term may be misleading us into
thinking that the physical description of space is a given when it is still an
unanswered question.
I have found that the idea that I am expressing in
this paper is not novel and is an attempt to build a useful model aimed at
improving our technology and our quality of life.
Dr. Henry H. Lindner has written papers on this very subject and expresses it very
well when he states:
“We shall assume that gravity is a
physical process caused by matter's interaction with its surrounding space. If
we treat inertial space as a physical entity and presume that like physical
effects result from like physical causes, we can get beyond the observer's
experiences to the physical reality. We can relate Einstein's equivalence of
gravitational and inertial acceleration (EGIA) to physical space with a
simple conjecture: A frame is inertial if it is not accelerating relative to
its surrounding inertial space. We thus infer that the accelerating space
ship and the Earth-surface observer are not inertial frames because both are
in a state of acceleration relative to their surrounding inertial space;
neither being free to return to the natural state of non-acceleration relative
to space. It thus appears that in a gravitational field, inertial space
itself is accelerating towards the gravitational attractor. Indeed, an
inertial space that accelerates radially towards all matter at 
explains
the ballistic and mechanical aspects of gravity. We have used Einstein's
subjectivist insights to improve
Indian
nuclear engineer and inventor, Paramhamsa Tewari, who has devised a theory of
the space and void nature of matter, propound a variation of this space-ether
theory. Tewari states, “Supposing that a certain
volume of space does not contain any field like gravity field or
electromagnetic field, then, this volume will be defined by the contemporary
physics as an empty extension of void-ness or nothing-ness. However, contrary
to this modern concept on the basic nature of space, the postulates of Space
Vortex Theory (SVT) [2], assign the medium of space with non- material
properties like, zero- viscosity, incompressibility, continuity, and mass
less-ness” (5). In Tewari’s theory space
does not vary in density, rather space has continuity without interruption
except where voids in space are formed by the high-speed circulation of space
fluid which causes a tear and a void. It
is these vortices surrounding voids that form particles in his Space Vortex
theory.
Until tests can be devised to select among these
hypotheses, none are favored as yet.
What is suggested, in common, is the nature of space and that space
itself is not a void or nothingness, but consists of a fine energy-substance
the nature of which is not yet clear.
This idea is similar to the older ether theories of the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries but differs from the older theories in several important
aspects that are intended to resolve the discrepancies and shortcomings of the
older theories. The rationale behind
postulating further on the subject of gravity is twofold: one is the irreconcilability of General
Relativity with quantum gravity theories, and the second is the lack of
understanding on just what gravity is and how it can be harnessed as a force in
terms of human engineering.
Conclusions
Flowing
Gravity is based on a general hypothesis that space has physical properties
that can best be described as super fluidic.
By postulating the superfluid nature of space problems in controlling
gravity and inertia can be clearly approached.
New understandings in electromagnetic phenomena, nuclear and particle
physics, cosmology, and the basis of quantum mechanics may be clarified with
this shift of emphasis. What remains is
to develop a more specific theory and a general theory that can make
predictions that are in accord with natural measurements and observations and
to devise experiments that can test the nature of the space medium.