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European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 11, No. 3

Publication Date: June 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/aivp.113.14846.

Gremaud, G. (2023). The Crystalline Ether. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 11(3). 383-397.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

The Crystalline Ether

Gérard Gremaud

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland

ABSTRACT

This paper summarizes how a new approach to the Universe based on the existence

of a "crystalline ether", which has recently been detailed in the third versions of two

books [1], makes it possible to find a simple, unified and coherent explanation of all

the theories of modern physics and of the Universe. The basic concepts of this

approach can be summarized as follows: (i) the support of the Universe is a form of

"crystalline ether" which consists of a solid and inertial lattice, of face-centered

cubic structure, with the simplest possible elasticity, and in which matter is

represented by the set of topological singularities of this lattice (loops of

dislocations, disinclinations and dispirations), and (ii) this lattice exclusively

satisfies, in absolute space, the basic classical physical concepts that are Newton's

law and the two principles of thermodynamics. With these basic classical concepts

alone, we show that it is possible to find all the modern theories of physics, namely

that the behaviors of this lattice (the Universe) and its topological singularities (the

Matter) satisfy electromagnetism, special relativity, general relativity, gravitation,

quantum physics, cosmology and even the standard model of elementary particles.

Keywords: Crystalline Ether, Massive Deformable 3D-Lattice, Dislocation, Disclination,

Electromagnetism, Relativity, Gravitation, Quantum Physics, Cosmology, Standard Model

of Particles, Theory of Everything.

THE QUEST FOR A THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Modern theories of physics are based on mathematical relationships postulated to explain

observed phenomena, and not on an inference of these mathematical relationships from an

understandable first principle. Electromagnetism is based on Maxwell's equations, without

simple explanations of what electric and magnetic fields really are, what electric charge is, and

how electromagnetic waves can propagate in a vacuum. Special relativity is based on Lorentz

transformations, without any explanation of the root causes why time expands and lengths

contract when an object moves at high speed, or in relation to what the object is moving.

General relativity is based on Einstein's famous equation that relates the curvature of space- time to the mass and energy of matter in space, without any real explanation of why matter

"curves" space-time, and even what space-time is exactly. Quantum physics is based on

Schrödinger's equation, without any explanation of the deep reason for this relationship, what

the wave function really is, and what defines the boundary between a classical and a quantum

behavior of an object (quantum decoherence). Cosmology is based on general relativity, and it

tries to describe the observed behaviors of the universe by injecting concepts, such as dark

matter and dark energy, which have no underlying physical explanation for the moment, and

which are introduced arbitrarily to make the theory fit the experiment. The Standard Model of

Elementary Particles is constructed from numerous experimental observations, but without

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Gremaud, G. (2023). The Crystalline Ether. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 11(3). 383-397.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.113.14846.

Many physicists now have serious doubts about the relevance of these theories of unification.

On this subject, I strongly advise readers to consult, among others, the books by Unzicker and

Jones [2], Smolin [3], Woit [4] and Hossenfelder [5].

WHAT IF THE UNIVERSE WAS A LATTICE?

In the approach we will present in this paper [1,6], the problem of the unification of physical

theories is treated in a radically different way. Instead of trying to build a unified theory by

tinkering with an assemblage of existing theories, making them more and more complex and

esoteric, even adding strange symmetries and extra dimensions for their "mathematical

beauty», we start exclusively from the most fundamental classical concepts of physics, which

are Newton's equation and the first two principles of thermodynamics. And using these

fundamental principles, and developing an original geometry based on Euler coordinates to

describe the topology of the Universe, we come, by a purely logical and deductive path, to

suggest that the Universe could be a finite, elastic and massive solid, a "cosmological lattice",

which would move and deform in an infinite absolute vacuum. In this a priori strange concept,

one thus admits the existence of a "crystalline ether", namely an ether made up of a lattice of

face-centered cubic crystalline structure, whose basic cells have a mass of inertia which

satisfies the Newtonian dynamics in the absolute space, and whose isotropic elasticity is

controlled by the existence of an internal energy of deformation as simple as possible.

By introducing into infinite absolute space a purely imaginary observer called the Great

Observer GO, and by equipping this observer with a reference system composed of an

orthonormal absolute Euclidean reference frame to locate the points of the solid lattice and an

absolute clock to measure the temporal evolution of the solid lattice in absolute space, a very

detailed description of the spatio-temporal evolution of the lattice can be elaborated on the

basis of the Euler coordinate system [7]. In this coordinate system of the Great Observer GO,

one can then describe in a very detailed way the distortions (rotation and deformation) and the

contortions (bending and torsion) of the lattice. And one can also introduce topological

singularities (dislocations, disclinations and dispirations) in this lattice in the form of closed

loops [8], as constitutive elements of Ordinary Matter.

If this original concept is developed in detail using an approach similar to the one used in solid

state physics, it can be demonstrated by a purely logical and deductive mathematical path that

the behaviors of this lattice and its topological singularities satisfy "all" the physics currently

known, by spontaneously bringing out very strong and often perfect analogies with all the

current major physical theories of the macrocosm and the microcosm, such as the Maxwell

equations [9], special relativity, Newtonian gravitation, general relativity, modern cosmology

and quantum physics.

But this approach does not only find analogies with other theories of physics, it also offers

original, new and simple explanations to many physical phenomena that are still quite obscure

and poorly understood at present by modern physics, such as the deep meaning and physical

interpretation of cosmological expansion, electromagnetism, special relativity, general

relativity, quantum physics and particle spin. It also offers new and simple explanations of

quantum decoherence (the boundary between classical and quantum behavior of an object),

dark energy, dark matter, black holes, and many other phenomena.