2000/04/26 by Richard Lieu, Lieu, Richard
Physics and Astronomy · #Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies #FOS: Physical sciences #General Physics (physics.gen-ph) #physics.gen-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.physics/0004071
13 pages, 3 figures
openalex publication_date 2000/04/26 · arxiv created 2000/04/30 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The microscopic structure of space and time is investigated. It is proposed that space and time of an inertial observer Σ are most conveniently described as a crystal array Λ, with nodes representing measurement `tickmarks' and connected by independent quantized harmonic oscillators which vibrate more severely the faster Σ moves with respect to the object being measured (due to the Uncertainty Principle). The Lorentz transformation of Special Relativity is derived. Further, mass is understood as a localized region ΔΛ having higher vibration temperature than that of the ambient lattice. The effect of relativistic mass increase may then be calculated without appealing to energy-momentum conservation. The origin of gravitation is shown to be simply a transport of energy from the boundary of ΔΛ outwards by lattice phonon conduction, as the system tends towards equilibrium. Application to a single point mass leads readily to the Schwarzschild metric, while a new solution is available for two point masses - a situation where General Relativity is too complicated to work with. The important consequence is that inertial observers who move at relative speeds too close to c are no longer linked by the Lorentz transformation, because the lattice of the `moving' observer has already disintegrated into a liquid state.