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Polarizable vacuum

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1197: 760:. This work has excited great interest because it might enable experimental verification of the basic concept of Hawking radiation, which is widely regarded as one of the most revolutionary proposals in twentieth-century physics but which, in its gravitational incarnation, seems impossible to verify in experiments in earthly laboratories. 752:. This is not work toward a unified field theory, but in another sense, can be regarded as work towards an even more ambitious unification, in which some of the most famous effects usually ascribed to general relativity (but familiar to many metric theories of gravitation) would be seen as essentially 701:
to resurrect and improve Wilson's idea of an optical analog of gravitational effects. If interpreted conservatively as an attempt to provide an alternative approach to GTR rather than as a work toward a theory unifying electromagnetism and gravitation, this approach is not unreasonable, although most
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Ibison has considered a "cosmological solution" of PV, analogous to the Friedmann dust solution with flat orthogonal hyperslices in general relativity, and argues that this model is inconsistent with various observational and theoretical constraints. He also finds a rate of inspiral disagreeing with
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effects in a manner somewhat analogous to the way that the (simple) classical theory of elasticity arises from (complicated) particle physics. This work is generally regarded as mainstream and not entirely implausible but highly speculative, and most physicists seem to feel that little progress has
545:(redshift, deflection of light, precession of the perihelion of Mercury) to within the limit of observational accuracy. However, as shown by Ibison (2003), it yields a different prediction for the inspiral of test particles due to gravitational radiation. 643:
PV has origins in more mainstream work by such physicists as Robert Dicke. Still, in current parlance, the term does appear to be most closely associated with the speculations of Puthoff. The claims have not been accepted in mainstream physics.
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is not intended primarily as a test ruling out scalar theories. However, it is widely expected to do so as a side benefit once it detects unambiguous gravitational wave signals exhibiting the characteristics expected in general relativity.
239: 434:. However, according to Dicke and Puthoff, Îș must satisfy a field equation that differs from the field equation of the Watt-Misner theory. In the case of a static spherically symmetric vacuum, this yields the asymptotically flat solution 380: 900: 532: 576:
Contrary to Puthoff's claims, it is widely accepted that no scalar theory of gravitation can reproduce all of general relativity's successes. It might be noted that De Felice uses
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effects. Also, the impact of gravitational radiation on test particles differs profoundly between scalar theories and tensor theories of gravitation, such as general relativity.
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which lives in spatial hyperslices; this provides extra degrees of freedom, which help make up for the degree of freedom lacking in PV and other scalar theories.
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The resulting Lorentzian spacetime agrees with the analogous solution in the Watt-Misner theory. It has the same weak-field limit and far-field as the
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arguing that this will affect the lengths of rulers made of ordinary matter so that in the presence of a gravitational field, the spacetime metric of
945:. This is a "toy theory", not a fully fledged theory of gravitation, since as Watt and Misner pointed out, while this theory does have the correct 636: 1256: 778: 440: 542: 977: 573:
observation. The latter result disagrees with that of Watt and Misner, whose Lorentzian manifold differs from PV in the case of cosmology.
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Matthew R. Edwards (2014). "Gravity from refraction of CMB photons using the optical-mechanical analogy in general relativity".
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general relativity with a scalar theory of gravitation featuring formal analogies with Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism,
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Watt, Keith & Misner, Charles (10 Oct 1999). "Relativistic Scalar Gravity: A Laboratory for Numerical Relativity".
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Puthoff himself has offered various characterizations of his proposal, which has been variously characterized as
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However, requiring stratified-conformally flat metrics rules out the possibility of recovering the weak-field
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to reduce gravitation to electromagnetism by pursuing the formal analogy between "light bending" in
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for how spacetime gets curved in general relativity, which suggests (to Puthoff) the possibility of
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not a viable theory of gravitation since it violates observational and theoretical requirements.
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general relativity in terms of a purely formal analogy with the propagation of light through an
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Fernando de Felice (1971). "On the gravitational field acting as an optical medium".
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H. E. Puthoff (2002). "Polarizable-Vacuum (PV) Approach to General Relativity".
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In essence, Dicke and Puthoff proposed that the presence of mass alters the
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Matthew R. Edwards suggests that the gravito-optical medium is composed of
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Antecedents of PV and more recent related proposals include the following:
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Ibison, M. (2003). "Investigation of the polarizable vacuum cosmology".
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R. H. Dicke (1957). "Gravitation without a principle of equivalence".
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and is certainly inconsistent with the claim that PV can give a
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and may, in turn, connect with the polarizable vacuum approach.
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Recent work, motivated in large part by the discoveries of the
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not viable as a unification of gravitation and electromagnetism
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solution in general relativity. It satisfies three of the four
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respectively by multiplying them by a scalar function,
922: 781: 443: 391: 257: 161: 100:(PV) and its associated theory refer to proposals by 63: 55: 47: 37: 21: 937: 894: 526: 410: 374: 233: 635:for such purposes as spacecraft propulsion (see 618:gravitation and electromagnetism in a theory of 709:that gravitation might arise from underlying 8: 654:not a "reformulation" of general relativity, 16: 543:classical tests of relativistic gravitation 1044:"An electromagnetic theory of gravitation" 198: 194: 1299: 1284: 1241:Learn how and when to remove this message 1010: 921: 886: 870: 854: 813: 789: 780: 721:and Alfonso Rueda have proposed that the 560:. In particular, this theory exhibits no 512: 503: 485: 462: 442: 396: 390: 363: 347: 331: 320: 314: 301: 286: 277: 265: 256: 225: 203: 188: 166: 160: 1204:This article includes a list of general 910:which reduces in a vacuum region to the 729:, due to interaction with the so-called 647:Mainstream physicists agree that PV is 51:1957 (R. H. Dicke), 1998 (H. E. Puthoff) 989: 973:Maxwell's equations in curved spacetime 637:Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Program 81:(Overview of pseudoscientific concepts) 15: 108:, and others to develop an analog of 7: 978:Electromagnetic stress-energy tensor 763:The 1999 proposal by Keith Watt and 678:and propagation of light through an 25:Gravitation can be described via a 1210:it lacks sufficient corresponding 1118:General Relativity and Gravitation 693:An attempt (roughly 1960–1970) by 31:stratified conformally flat metric 14: 702:likely of rather limited utility. 432:Watt-Misner theory of gravitation 422:dielectric constant of the vacuum 1195: 727:"electromagnetic reaction force" 725:of massive objects arises as a 690:is not considered viable today. 1161:Astrophysics and Space Science 906:, where φ satisfies a certain 844: 841: 829: 817: 807: 676:metric theories of gravitation 470: 456: 369: 321: 209: 172: 38:Related scientific disciplines 1: 908:partial differential equation 411:{\displaystyle \kappa ^{2}=K} 1261:Living Reviews in Relativity 938:{\displaystyle \Box \phi =0} 769:scalar theory of gravitation 558:general theory of relativity 59:Robert Dicke, Harold Puthoff 27:scalar theory of gravitation 773:stratified conformally flat 682:having a spatially varying 428:stratified conformally flat 1340: 902:, given with respect to a 1181:10.1007/s10509-014-1864-4 1103:10.1103/RevModPhys.29.363 1083:Reviews of Modern Physics 969:(for Sakharov's proposal) 746:black hole thermodynamics 686:. Wilson's approach to a 79: 67:Harold Puthoff (see also 627:an attempt to provide a 116:and its relationship to 1225:more precise citations. 1173:2014Ap&SS.351..401E 1021:10.1023/A:1016011413407 754:thermodynamical effects 717:In a series of papers, 556:"approximation" of the 999:Foundations of Physics 939: 896: 670:A proposal in 1921 by 578:constitutive relations 528: 412: 376: 235: 1255:Visser, Matt (2005). 1068:10.1103/PhysRev.17.54 1042:H. A. Wilson (1921). 940: 897: 758:gravitational effects 705:The 1967 proposal of 582:susceptibility tensor 529: 413: 377: 236: 134:magnetic permeability 130:electric permittivity 64:Subsequent proponents 920: 779: 711:quantum field theory 688:unified field theory 633:"metric engineering" 539:Schwarzschild vacuum 441: 389: 255: 159: 1319:Theories of gravity 1130:1971GReGr...2..347D 1095:1957RvMP...29..363D 1060:1921PhRv...17...54W 775:metric of the form 771:which postulates a 756:, not specifically 750:optical black holes 246:Minkowski spacetime 90:theoretical physics 56:Original proponents 18: 1138:10.1007/BF00758153 935: 892: 699:Fernando de Felice 629:physical mechanism 524: 408: 372: 231: 110:general relativity 98:polarizable vacuum 17:Polarizable vacuum 1251: 1250: 1243: 765:Charles W. Misner 742:Hawking radiation 518: 418:is the so-called 292: 86: 85: 1331: 1305: 1303: 1290: 1288: 1286:astro-ph/0302273 1275: 1273: 1272: 1263:. Archived from 1257:"Analog Gravity" 1246: 1239: 1235: 1232: 1226: 1221:this article by 1212:inline citations 1199: 1198: 1191: 1185: 1184: 1156: 1150: 1149: 1113: 1107: 1106: 1078: 1072: 1071: 1039: 1033: 1032: 1014: 994: 944: 942: 941: 936: 901: 899: 898: 893: 891: 890: 875: 874: 859: 858: 794: 793: 731:zero point field 684:refractive index 533: 531: 530: 525: 523: 519: 517: 516: 504: 489: 466: 417: 415: 414: 409: 401: 400: 381: 379: 378: 373: 368: 367: 352: 351: 336: 335: 319: 318: 306: 305: 293: 291: 290: 278: 270: 269: 240: 238: 237: 232: 230: 229: 208: 207: 193: 192: 171: 170: 118:electromagnetism 19: 1339: 1338: 1334: 1333: 1332: 1330: 1329: 1328: 1309: 1308: 1293: 1278: 1270: 1268: 1254: 1247: 1236: 1230: 1227: 1217:Please help to 1216: 1200: 1196: 1189: 1188: 1158: 1157: 1153: 1115: 1114: 1110: 1080: 1079: 1075: 1048:Physical Review 1041: 1040: 1036: 996: 995: 991: 986: 967:Induced gravity 963: 947:Newtonian limit 918: 917: 904:Cartesian chart 882: 866: 850: 785: 777: 776: 707:Andrei Sakharov 664: 590: 508: 499: 439: 438: 392: 387: 386: 359: 343: 327: 310: 297: 282: 261: 253: 252: 248:is replaced by 221: 199: 184: 162: 157: 156: 147: 143: 126: 106:Robert H. Dicke 92:, particularly 12: 11: 5: 1337: 1335: 1327: 1326: 1324:Fringe physics 1321: 1311: 1310: 1307: 1306: 1291: 1276: 1249: 1248: 1203: 1201: 1194: 1187: 1186: 1167:(2): 401–406. 1151: 1108: 1089:(3): 363–376. 1073: 1034: 1005:(6): 927–943. 988: 987: 985: 982: 981: 980: 975: 970: 962: 959: 958: 957: 950: 934: 931: 928: 925: 912:flat spacetime 889: 885: 881: 878: 873: 869: 865: 862: 857: 853: 849: 846: 843: 840: 837: 834: 831: 828: 825: 822: 819: 816: 812: 809: 806: 803: 800: 797: 792: 788: 784: 761: 734: 719:Bernard Haisch 715: 703: 691: 680:optical medium 663: 660: 659: 658: 655: 652: 641: 640: 625: 621:electrogravity 614:an attempt to 612: 607:an attempt to 605: 602:optical medium 596:an attempt to 589: 586: 562:frame-dragging 535: 534: 522: 515: 511: 507: 502: 498: 495: 492: 488: 484: 481: 478: 475: 472: 469: 465: 461: 458: 455: 452: 449: 446: 407: 404: 399: 395: 383: 382: 371: 366: 362: 358: 355: 350: 346: 342: 339: 334: 330: 326: 323: 317: 313: 309: 304: 300: 296: 289: 285: 281: 276: 273: 268: 264: 260: 242: 241: 228: 224: 220: 217: 214: 211: 206: 202: 197: 191: 187: 183: 180: 177: 174: 169: 165: 145: 141: 125: 122: 102:Harold Puthoff 94:fringe physics 84: 83: 77: 76: 69:Bernard Haisch 65: 61: 60: 57: 53: 52: 49: 45: 44: 39: 35: 34: 23: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1336: 1325: 1322: 1320: 1317: 1316: 1314: 1302: 1301:gr-qc/9910032 1297: 1292: 1287: 1282: 1277: 1267:on 2005-12-31 1266: 1262: 1258: 1253: 1252: 1245: 1242: 1234: 1224: 1220: 1214: 1213: 1207: 1202: 1193: 1192: 1182: 1178: 1174: 1170: 1166: 1162: 1155: 1152: 1147: 1143: 1139: 1135: 1131: 1127: 1123: 1119: 1112: 1109: 1104: 1100: 1096: 1092: 1088: 1084: 1077: 1074: 1069: 1065: 1061: 1057: 1053: 1049: 1045: 1038: 1035: 1030: 1026: 1022: 1018: 1013: 1012:gr-qc/9909037 1008: 1004: 1000: 993: 990: 983: 979: 976: 974: 971: 968: 965: 964: 960: 955: 951: 948: 932: 929: 926: 923: 916: 915:wave equation 913: 909: 905: 887: 883: 879: 876: 871: 867: 863: 860: 855: 851: 847: 838: 835: 832: 826: 823: 820: 814: 810: 804: 801: 798: 795: 790: 786: 782: 774: 770: 766: 762: 759: 755: 751: 747: 743: 739: 735: 732: 728: 724: 720: 716: 712: 708: 704: 700: 696: 692: 689: 685: 681: 677: 673: 669: 668: 667: 661: 656: 653: 650: 649: 648: 645: 638: 634: 630: 626: 623: 622: 617: 613: 610: 606: 603: 599: 595: 594: 593: 587: 585: 583: 579: 574: 570: 567: 563: 559: 555: 551: 546: 544: 540: 520: 513: 509: 505: 500: 496: 493: 490: 486: 482: 479: 476: 473: 467: 463: 459: 453: 450: 447: 444: 437: 436: 435: 433: 429: 425: 423: 405: 402: 397: 393: 364: 360: 356: 353: 348: 344: 340: 337: 332: 328: 324: 315: 311: 307: 302: 298: 294: 287: 283: 279: 274: 271: 266: 262: 258: 251: 250: 249: 247: 226: 222: 218: 215: 212: 204: 200: 195: 189: 185: 181: 178: 175: 167: 163: 155: 154: 153: 151: 139: 135: 131: 123: 121: 119: 115: 111: 107: 103: 99: 95: 91: 82: 78: 74: 70: 66: 62: 58: 54: 50: 48:Year proposed 46: 43: 40: 36: 32: 28: 24: 20: 1269:. Retrieved 1265:the original 1260: 1237: 1228: 1209: 1164: 1160: 1154: 1121: 1117: 1111: 1086: 1082: 1076: 1054:(1): 54–59. 1051: 1047: 1037: 1002: 998: 992: 772: 757: 753: 749: 738:Unruh effect 726: 695:Robert Dicke 672:H. A. Wilson 665: 662:Related work 646: 642: 632: 628: 619: 615: 608: 597: 591: 581: 580:to obtain a 575: 571: 553: 547: 536: 430:form in the 427: 419: 384: 243: 149: 127: 112:to describe 97: 87: 30: 26: 1223:introducing 1124:(4): 347–. 598:reformulate 550:Kerr metric 124:Description 1313:Categories 1271:2006-06-02 1206:references 984:References 714:been made. 29:, using a 1231:June 2009 1146:115547188 1029:118146080 954:gravitons 927:ϕ 924:◻ 839:ϕ 833:− 827:⁡ 815:ϕ 805:⁡ 799:− 588:Criticism 454:⁡ 445:κ 394:κ 312:κ 284:κ 275:− 223:μ 213:μ 210:→ 201:μ 186:ε 176:ε 173:→ 164:ε 138:spacetime 961:See also 136:of flat 132:and the 1219:improve 1169:Bibcode 1126:Bibcode 1091:Bibcode 1056:Bibcode 723:inertia 609:replace 554:general 114:gravity 42:physics 1208:, but 1144:  1027:  744:, and 385:where 22:Claims 1296:arXiv 1281:arXiv 1142:S2CID 1025:S2CID 1007:arXiv 767:of a 616:unify 144:and ÎŒ 697:and 566:LIGO 71:and 1177:doi 1165:351 1134:doi 1099:doi 1064:doi 1017:doi 824:exp 802:exp 451:exp 140:, Δ 88:In 73:SED 1315:: 1259:. 1175:. 1163:. 1140:. 1132:. 1120:. 1097:. 1087:29 1085:. 1062:. 1052:17 1050:. 1046:. 1023:. 1015:. 1003:32 1001:. 740:, 639:). 152:: 120:. 104:, 96:, 1304:. 1298:: 1289:. 1283:: 1274:. 1244:) 1238:( 1233:) 1229:( 1215:. 1183:. 1179:: 1171:: 1148:. 1136:: 1128:: 1122:2 1105:. 1101:: 1093:: 1070:. 1066:: 1058:: 1031:. 1019:: 1009:: 933:0 930:= 888:2 884:z 880:d 877:+ 872:2 868:y 864:d 861:+ 856:2 852:x 848:d 845:( 842:) 836:2 830:( 821:+ 818:) 811:2 808:( 796:= 791:2 787:s 783:d 624:, 604:, 521:) 514:2 510:r 506:1 501:( 497:O 494:+ 491:r 487:/ 483:m 480:+ 477:1 474:= 471:) 468:r 464:/ 460:m 457:( 448:= 424:" 420:" 406:K 403:= 398:2 370:) 365:2 361:z 357:d 354:+ 349:2 345:y 341:d 338:+ 333:2 329:x 325:d 322:( 316:2 308:+ 303:2 299:t 295:d 288:2 280:1 272:= 267:2 263:s 259:d 227:0 219:K 216:= 205:0 196:; 190:0 182:K 179:= 168:0 150:K 146:o 142:o 75:)

Index

physics
Bernard Haisch
SED
(Overview of pseudoscientific concepts)
theoretical physics
fringe physics
Harold Puthoff
Robert H. Dicke
general relativity
gravity
electromagnetism
electric permittivity
magnetic permeability
spacetime
Minkowski spacetime
dielectric constant of the vacuum
Watt-Misner theory of gravitation
Schwarzschild vacuum
classical tests of relativistic gravitation
Kerr metric
general theory of relativity
frame-dragging
LIGO
constitutive relations
optical medium
electrogravity
Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Program
H. A. Wilson
metric theories of gravitation
optical medium

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