What is the Aether?

Background

Aether, usually referred to as the fifth element or quintessence, was an ancient concept that described the aether as a mysterious substance that permeates the universe beyond our terrestrial sphere. In the realms of ancient and medieval science, aether was more than just a theoretical notion. It was integral to understanding a variety of natural phenomena. Scholars and philosophers of its time used it to provide explanations for complex processes such as the propagation of light and the force of gravity, which, as will be seen below, are closely connected. 

In the late 19th century, the scientific community advanced theories proposing that aether filled the very fabric of space, serving as a medium that facilitated the travel of light even through a vacuum. This idea gained significant attention and needed proof, leading to the famous Michelson-Morley experiment, which was supposed to detect the presence of the luminiferous aether. However, the results of this experiment were unexpected; they found no evidence to support the existence of aether. This pivotal finding has since been interpreted to suggest that the concept of luminiferous aether may be an illusion, ultimately reshaping our understanding of light and the nature of the universe.

The word αἰθήρ (aithḗr) in Homeric Greek translates to “pure, fresh air” or “clear sky.” In Greek mythology, the aether was believed to be the pure substance that the gods breathed, filling the space they inhabited, similar to the air that mortals breathe. The aether is also personified as a deity named Aether, the son of Erebus and Nyx, according to traditional Greek mythology. Aether is related to the verb αἴθω (aithō), which means “to incinerate” or “to shine.” This connection is also reflected in the name Aethiopes (Ethiopians), which means “people with a burnt (black) visage.”

In Plato’s *Timaeus*, he discusses air and mentions a “most translucent kind” known as aether (αἰθήρ). Otherwise, Plato adhered to the classical system of four elements. Aristotle, who was once Plato’s student at the Academy, agreed with his former teacher but pointed out that fire had sometimes been mistaken for aether. In his work *On the Heavens*, Aristotle introduced a new “first” element to the classical elements of Ionian philosophy. He observed that the four terrestrial elements were subject to change and moved linearly, while this first element, found in the celestial regions and heavenly bodies, moved circularly. Unlike the terrestrial elements, it had none of their qualities; it was neither hot nor cold nor wet nor dry. With this addition, the classical elements were expanded to five. Later commentators referred to this new first element as the fifth element, also calling it aether, a term Aristotle had used in both *On the Heavens* and *Meteorology*.

Aether differs from the four terrestrial elements in that it does not experience motion in terms of quality or quantity. Instead, aether is only capable of local motion. It naturally moves in circular patterns and does not exhibit any contrary or unnatural motion. Aristotle stated that the celestial spheres made of aether contained the stars and planets. This concept of aethereal spheres moving in natural circular motion led to Aristotle’s explanation of the observed orbits of stars and planets, which he believed followed perfectly circular paths.

Modern Believes

At first glance, the “space-material continuum” seems to be merely a modern reinterpretation of the ancient concept of “aether.” In antiquity, aether was viewed as the medium that fills space, while “ether” refers to a gas that can induce unconsciousness.

Thus, in its most basic form, Aether is a distributed physical medium permeating the entire universe, endowing it (the space) with measurable physical qualities. In modern theories, Aether is not required to be. Aether is not a preferred frame (it could be, but isn’t required to be.). The specific properties of the Aether are not defined, as should be clear from the above definition. To be a preferred reference frame, the Aether and matter must be assigned certain characteristics, which specific models of Aether encompass. It is these specific variations and conceptual models that, once defined, can be evaluated and tested, providing us with a modern understanding of Aether.

Currently, modern science uses the term “material fields” or “fabric” instead of Aether since the term has become associated with space, not with some specific fundamental forces. Several experiments aim to prove or disprove the reality of Aether.

Michelson-Morely experiment (MMX)

A light beam is split into two perpendicular component paths, A and B, of equal length. Path A is in the direction of the earth’s motion, and path B is at right angles to A. It was expected that, due to the earth’s motion, the time to travel path A would be less than the time to travel path B, and therefore, upon reconverting the light beams, the frequencies would be out of phase and would, of necessity, exhibit an interference pattern. No such interference was noted.

Kennedy-Thorndike experiment

In a variation of MMX, a light beam is split into two perpendicular component paths; A and B paths are different lengths. Again, no such interference was noted, ruling out length contraction alone as an explanation for the null results of the MMX. This experiment, along with the original MMX, provides strong evidence against the existence of Aether as a medium for light propagation.

Trouton-Noble experiment

The Trouton-Noble experiment was designed to test the aether theory by observing the behavior of a parallel plate capacitor suspended from a single line. The translational motion of the earth was expected to cause a magnetic torque force on the charges, aligning the plates parallel to the motion of the earth. No such torque force was discerned. Other experiments prove the same: there is no motion with respect to Aether.

Do these experiments disprove the existence of such an absolute material medium? The right answer is “No”! They disprove the concept of Aether – a material medium filling the whole universe space and with respect to which individual material bodies are moving with different velocities.

Is Aether compatible with Special Relativity? As defined by its postulates, special relativity doesn’t require a physical medium to describe the process of curving space and time. Thus, Einstein stated that a physical medium isn’t necessary for formulating SR’s formal definition. H.A. Lorentz formulated an Aether-based version of special relativity, which is mathematically equivalent to classical SR in all known predictions and observations. This shows that while Aether theory has been largely discredited, it still has some relevance in the context of alternative theories of relativity. 

A. Einstein was a great mathematician among physicists, but at the same time, he was a bad philosopher. Maybe because of the influence of the Lorentz variant of SR or the new concepts of material fields, A. Einstein changed his mind (in the last years of his life) about the concept of “curved empty space”. In 1950, he published an article in Scientific American where we can read: According to general relativity, the concept of space detached from physical content does not exist. The reality of space is represented by a domain whose components are continuous functions of four independent variables, the three spatial coordinates of space and time”. However, Einstein does not elaborate on the nature of this material space just because he had no idea about this reality.

Existence

In the paper “What is Gravity?” we explain the nature of gravity: gravity is the elastic response of a material body within a space continuum. A material object immersed in that continuum initiates this gravitational response, which depends on the object’s location within the specific area of the Ordered World. Importantly, gravity is not a particular type of matter, nor is it a material field.

An individual material body (with mass at rest) exercises pressure on the space-material continuum. The elastic reaction of the deformed material manifold is the opposite pressure on the disturbing material body. Every action engenders the opposite reaction! See Figure 1.

Two - dimensional space material continium
Fig 1

The reaction of the deformed “space-material continuum” (by some material body with mass at rest) is what we know to be “Gravity”. In other words, Gravity is the Elastic Response of the Disturbed (by some material body with mass M) Space-Material Continuum!

As we argued before, any material object represents the dialectic unity of two internal opposites MI and MII, which are in eternal struggle and cooperation. See Figure 2.

One body and two bodies
Fig 2

We also know that all material bodies represent individual images of the unique material continuum. Any pair of material bodies can be considered a quantum unity (See Figure 2,b).

As seen in Figure 2, the gravity force is always attractive!

Photons emitted by some photon source are moving on the outside surface of the Proton Matter space-manifold with constant speed c ≈3 x 1010 cm/s. See Figure 3.

World and anti world graphic
Fig 3

And again, because any material object represents an individual image of the Unique Proton Matter Manifold, all photons are moving with the speed of light with respect to all individual Proton Matter objects, including the “manifold-space” itself. This is one of the postulates in SR. As we know, postulates are taken for granted – they cannot be proven theoretically in the present theoretical model development stage. Unlike SR, the above statement is not a postulate in the GQM; it is proven theoretically fact-based on more profound principles governing our universe.

As we argued above, the famous MMX disproved only the idea of relative motion of individual material objects with respect to some absolute material medium filling the space of the whole universe. The reality is different: all material Proton Matter objects are at rest with respect to this Absolute Space-Material Continuum! “Rest” means no motion or balance of all forces acting upon any individual Proton Matter object in the universe. See Figure 4.

Individual proton matter object in the universe
Fig 4
F c F c = 0 M × V 2 R = G × M 2 R 2 R = G × M V 2
F c F c = 0 M × V 2 R =
G × M 2 R 2 R = G × M V 2

The Electron Matter space-material continuum l is orthogonal to the two-dimensional Proton Matter manifold a(nm) in any point or direction in the universe. As explained before, the electron matter space continuum l is three-dimensional and one l(x⊥y⊥z). This is a three-dimensional spherical manifold. Because the Electron Matter manifold represents a quantum object, no privilege/absolute system of reference exists to which the two-dimensional Proton Matter manifold can be attached constantly. The quantum Proton Matter manifold is located everywhere, in any possible direction in the universe. See Figure 5.

Quantum proton matter manifold
Fig 5

The living observer perceives only the “outside” space l(x⊥y⊥z); the “inside” space α is hidden for him. A light photon generated by the light source l(x1⊥y1⊥z1) moves on the curved surface α with the speed of light and experiences the influence of the quantum minimum acceleration a0,p. Because the speed of light c has a constant value with respect to all individual Proton Matter material bodies and because this speed is the maximum speed in the universe, the visible effect on the moving away (from the light source) photon is “red shift” (due to the speed V) and “expansion” of the space continuum. The space continuum is isotropic – all directions around the observer are equal.

If some material object with mass M is immersed (located) in some place of the space-material continuum, the geometry of the space–material continuum is disturbed. See Figure 6.

Geometry of the space–material continuum is disturbed
Fig. 6

The non-disturbed space-material continuum is curved uniformly in all directions with curvature Run,p. We can imagine the existence of some closed geometrical lines (strings) with curvature Run,p, and stretch with force corresponding to the minimum quantum acceleration a0,p. The presence of an individual material body deforms the space-material continuum around this body. 

As a result of this disturbance, the imaginary geometrical lines (strings) are deformed in the zone around the material body, and these lines get closer to each other. In other words, the space-material continuum is contracted in this zone. If some photon moves across this contracted zone, the effect will be a “blue shift” and bending trajectory.

To better understand the effect of geometrical disturbance of the space-material continuum, we can compare some easy-to-catch mental cases of disturbance of continuous material medium – deep explosion of a bomb in a water basin set up by some fishers-criminals. The propagation of the elastic wave outward of the center of the explosion is limited by some speed V<< c. The energy of explosion E is transferred continuously further and further from the center of the explosion. Because of energy loss (due to friction between water molecules), this energy decreases gradually and becomes zero at some distance from the center of the explosion. See Figure 7.

Energy decreasing with distance from the center of the explosion
Fig. 7

In the case of “gravity explosion,” we have something like “frozen” spherical waves around the disturbing body with mass M.

In a quantum object, the propagation of any signal (or pressure wave) happens instantaneously, not limited by the speed of light. In the case of a “gravity explosion,” the gravitational mass M represents “frozen” potential energy.

At any given moment of time, this “frozen” energy is presented at any given spherical surface (no matter how far it is located from the disturbing body) around the central mass M. There is no energy loss in the space-material continuum (quantum object with no elements like water molecules).

This energy exercises pressure on the space-material continuum. However, as we know from mechanics, every action engenders a contra-action – the space-material continuum is pushing back this pressure way. And because we have the case of stability (no motion with respect to the space-material continuum), the outward and inward pressure (gravity) have the same value. See Figure 8.

Outward and inward pressure
Fig 8

Pressure p and acceleration ag are, in fact, the same thing.

p = E R 2 = M × c 2 R 2 ; a g = G × M R 2

Where, c2 and G – world constants.

We can choose a system of measurement of parameters where the gravity mass becomes gravity pressure, or the gravity constant G is measured in terms of “c2“ units. We know that the gravity mass measured in grams and G measured in din.cm2.s-1 are chosen absolutely arbitrarily. The contra-pressure of the space-material continuum is what we call it – GRAVITY.

If some other material object (with mass M2) is located around the first body (mass M1), the first body will attract this second body and vice-versa. See Figure 8. Both material bodies M1 and M2 can be considered as two elements of one quantum unit. The total force of gravity attraction between both bodies is equal to:

F g , 1 2 = G × M 1 × M 2 R 2 Newton’s Law of Gravity!
F g , 1 2 = G × M 1 × M 2 R 2

Newton’s Law of Gravity!

As we can see, gravity represents an elastic reaction of the Proton Matter space-material continuum to the presence of some individual material body in it. It is simple, and no material carriers (gravitons) are needed!

Заключение

Aether can be described as a vast, distributed physical medium that permeates the structure of the entire universe we observe. This mysterious substance provides the space itself with measurable physical properties, influencing the behavior and characteristics of matter, light, and energy. The aether behavior is directly related to gravity, which is a derivative of the electromagnetic nature of the universe’s building blocks. While the exact nature and specific properties of Aether remain undefined, they serve as fundamental concepts that help us understand the interactions and dynamics present in the cosmos. This notion invites further exploration and inquiry into the underlying principles that govern our universe.

Authors:

Георги Станчев

Георги Станчев

Български учен и иноватор с бакалавърска, магистърска и докторска степени по физика и бизнес. Основател и изпълнителен директор на Чуканов Енерджи, ООД. Автор на множество патенти и статии в областта на квантовата енергия.

Кирил Чуканов

Кирил Чуканов

Български учен и иноватор в областта на квантовата енергия с бакалавърска, магистърска и докторска степен. Основател на "General Energy International" и "Chukanov Quantum Energy, LLC". Автор на три книги и притежаващ два патента в областта на квантовата енергия.