English

Is there a Cosmological Basis for E = mc^2?

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2019-09-25 v1 Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Abstract

It has recently been claimed that relativity's most famous equation, E = mc^2, has a cosmological basis, representing the gravitational binding energy for a particle to escape from the origin to a gravitational horizon of the universe. In this paper, I examine these claims in detail, concluding that they result from a misinterpretation of motion of particles in the cosmological space-time, and an incorrect application of 4-vectors. Finally, I demonstrate that the origin of E = mc^2 comes from its usual relativistic interpretation, namely that it is the energy of a particle as seen in its own rest-frame.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1908.09267,
  title  = {Is there a Cosmological Basis for E = mc^2?},
  author = {Geraint F. Lewis},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1908.09267},
  year   = {2019}
}

Comments

6 pages, accepted for publication in General Relativity and Gravitation

R2 v1 2026-06-23T10:56:05.288Z