Silverberg/Eischen new field-theory forumulation

[jstrout]

Has anyone seen this paper by Larry M. Silverberg and Jeffrey W. Eischen?  It's behind a paywall, so I haven't seen the full thing, though there is a pop-sci summary of it here.  Here's the abstract of the paper:

This article introduces a new field theory formulation. The new field theory formulation recognizes vector continuity as a general principle and begins with a field that satisfies vector continuity equations. Next, independent of the new formulation, this article introduces a new space-time adjustment. Then, we solve the one-body gravitational problem by applying the space-time adjustment to the new field theory formulation. With the space-time adjustment, the new formulation predicts precisely the same precession of Mercury and the same bending of light as general relativity. The reader will find the validating calculations to be simple. The equations of motion that govern the orbital equations are in terms of Cartesian coordinates and time. An undergraduate college student, with direction, can perform the validations.

I don't know that this will have any immediate application to launch or spaceflight technology, but if it really does reproduce the results of general relativity with simpler math, that's a big win for simulation at least.  I've written orbital simulations, and they get hairy fast, especially if you're trying to take relativity into account.  So a simpler formulation would be a big step forward, even if it makes no new predictions.

What do you all think?

[Eric Hedman]

Anytime you can simplify how math works and you get an answer that matches what is observed in the universe, you've got something worthwhile.  I'm sure this idea will get a thorough review from mathematicians and physicists to see if this gives us a truer understanding of the universe.  String theory has been stuck in place for years so these people should have time to look this over.  Give it time to see how this gets either praised or pummeled going forward.

[MineCanary]

Here's a non-paywall version of it.  That "physics essays" site does have a bit of crackpot stuff on it, I'm personally dubious about funding it.

https://www.mae.ncsu.edu/eischen/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2020/12/PhysicsEssaysSilverbergEischen2020.pdf