Related papers: Gravity and the Tenacious Scalar Field
A scalar theory of gravity extending Newtonian gravity to include field energy as its source is developed. The physical implications of the theory are probed through its spherically symmetric (source) solutions. The aim is to demonstrate…
Gunnar Nordstrom constructed the first relativistic theory of gravitation formulated in terms of interactions with a scalar field. It was an important precursor to Einstein's general theory of relativity a couple of years later. He was also…
On his way to General Relativity (GR) Einstein gave several arguments as to why a special relativistic theory of gravity based on a massless scalar field could be ruled out merely on grounds of theoretical considerations. We re-investigate…
Why are there no fundamental scalar fields actually observed in physics today? Scalars are the simplest fields, but once we go beyond Galilean-Newtonian physics they appear only in speculations, as possible determinants of the gravitational…
The theory starts from a tentative interpretation of gravity as Archimedes' thrust exerted on matter at the scale of elementary particles by an imagined perfect fluid ("ether"): the gravity acceleration is expressed by a formula in which…
The confrontation between Einstein's gravitation theory and experimental results, notably binary pulsar data, is summarized and its significance discussed. Experiment and theory agree at the 10^{-3} level or better. All the basic structures…
A century ago, Einstein formulated his elegant and elaborate theory of General Relativity, which has so far withstood a multitude of empirical tests with remarkable success. Notwithstanding the triumphs of Einstein's theory, the tenacious…
In 1945 Einstein concluded that [1]: 'The present theory of relativity is based on a division of physical reality into a metric field (gravitation) on the one hand, and into an electromagnetic field and matter on the other hand. In reality…
The confrontation between Einstein's gravitation theory and experimental results, notably binary pulsar data, is summarized and its significance discussed. Experiment and theory agree at the 10^{-3} level. All the basic structures of…
Among relativistic theories of gravitation the closest ones to general relativity are the scalar-tensor ones and these with Lagrangians being any function f(R) of the curvature scalar. A complete chart of relationships between these…
There exists some confusion, as evidenced in the literature, regarding the nature of the gravitational field in Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. It is argued here the this confusion is a result of a change in interpretation of the…
From modern observations of gravitational interactions, it can be inferred that there is much left to discover about the fundamental gravitational field. Since the advent of the General Theory of Relativity over a century ago, we have come…
Gravity theory is the basis of modern cosmological models. Thirring-Feynman's tensor field approach to gravitation is an alternative to General Relativity (GR). Though Field Gravity (FG) approach is still developing subject, it opens new…
Gravity theories with non-minimally coupled scalar fields are used as characteristic examples in order to demonstrate the challenges, pitfalls and future perspectives of considering alternatives to general relativity. These lecture notes…
Nowadays it is widely accepted that the evolution of the universe was driven by some scalar degrees of freedom both on its early stage and at present. The corresponding cosmological models often involve some scalar fields introduced ad hoc.…
Theoretical arguments and cosmological observations suggest that Einstein's theory of general relativity needs to be modified at high energies. One of the best motivated higher-curvature extensions of general relativity is…
We present a geometric scalar theory of gravity. Our proposal will be described using the "background field method" introduced by Gupta, Feynman and others as a field theory formulation of general relativity. We analyze previous criticisms…
The nature of gravity is fundamental to our understanding of our own solar system, the galaxy and the structure and evolution of the Universe. Einstein's general theory of relativity is the standard model that is used for almost ninety…
We consider multiple scalar fields coupled to gravity, with special attention given to two-field theories. First, the conditions necessary for these theories to meet solar system tests are given. Next, we investigate the cosmological…
A new approach to the cosmological constant problem is proposed by modifying Einstein's theory of general relativity, using instead a scalar-tensor theory of gravitation. This theory of gravity crucially incorporates the concept of quantum…