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We give a critical analysis of the conceptual foundations of special relativity. We formulate a simple operational criterion for distinguishing between noninertial and inertial frames which is introduced prior to geometry. We associate the…
Gravitation, according to General Relativity, is an attribute of space-time's geometry and hence not a force in the Newtonian sense. This is a consequence of Einstein's equivalence principle, which so far passed all experimental tests with…
Minkowski's concept of a four-dimensional physical space is a central paradigm of modern physics. The three-dimensional Maxwellian electrodynamics is uniquely generalized to the covariant four-dimensional form. Is the (1+3) decomposition of…
This article concerns the fate of local Lorentz invariance in quantum gravity, particularly for approaches in which a discrete structure replaces continuum spacetime. Some features of standard quantum mechanics, presented in a…
For over a century Minkowskian spacetime has dominated discussions of space contraction and time dilation within special relativity. Brown and Pooley have called into question both the assumptions of Minkowski and the effects his presumed…
This work deals with the questions of absolute space and relativity. In particular, an alternative derivation of the effects described by special relativity is provided, which is based on a description that assumes a privileged reference…
In this thesis we are interested in the problem of dark energy in cosmology. In particular, we consider the possibility that this effect is due to an infrared non-local modification of the theory of General Relativity. Inspired by massive…
The paper aims to introduce a new symmetry principle in the space-time geometry through the elimination of the classical idea of rest and by including a universal minimum limit of speed in the subatomic world. Such a limit, unattainable by…
Contrary to our immediate and vivid sensation of past, present, and future as continually shifting non-relational modalities, time remains as tenseless and relational as space in all of the established theories of fundamental physics. Here…
After having obtained previously an extended first approximation of Maxwell's equations in Fock's nonlinear relativity, we propose here the corresponding exact form. In order to achieve this goal, we were inspired mainly by the special…
In this paper Quantum Mechanics with Fundamental Length is chosen as Quantum Mechanics at Planck's scale. This is possible due to the presence in the theory of General Uncertainty Relations. Here Quantum Mechanics with Fundamental Length is…
A detailed re-examination of the seminal paper on special relativity, taking into account recent work on the physical interpretation of the space-time Lorentz transformation as well as the modern understanding of classical elecromagnetism…
The special theory of relativity is the foundation of modern physics, but its unusual postulate of invariant vacuum speed of light results in a number of plausible paradoxes. This situation leads to radical criticisms and suspicions against…
We construct and parametrize solutions to the constraint equations of general relativity in a neighborhood of Minkowski spacetime with arbitrary prescribed decay properties at infinity. We thus provide a large class of initial data for the…
A classic problem in general relativity, long studied by both physicists and philosophers of physics, concerns whether the geodesic principle may be derived from other principles of the theory, or must be posited independently. In a recent…
Linear perturbations of Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universes with any curvature and cosmological constant are studied in a general gauge without decomposition into harmonics. Desirable gauges are selected as those which embody best Mach's…
We study modified theories of gravity of the f(R) type in Palatini formalism. For a generic f(R) lagrangian, we show that the metric can be solved as the product of a scalar function times a rank-two tensor (or auxiliary metric). The scalar…
This work reviews our current understanding of Cherenkov-type processes in vacuum that may occur due to a possible violation of Lorentz invariance. The description of Lorentz violation is based on the Standard Model Extension (SME). To get…
We study models where the gauge coupling constants, masses and the gravitational constant are functions of some conserved charge in the universe, and furthermore a cosmological constant that depends on the total charge of the universe. We…
The picture of space-time that Minkowski created in 1907 has been followed by two important developments in physics not contained in the original picture: general relativity and quantum mechanics. We will argue that the use of concepts of…