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Abstract


Another Theory of Gravitation: An Alternative to Einstein's General Theory of Relativity

Thomas G. Barnes
Year: 1976
Keywords: Gravitation, General Relativity

The second of Einstein's two relativity theories, his general theory of relativity, is a theory of Gravitation. Its wide acceptance and his original fame may be attributed largely to the presumed verification of predictions that he made relative to three effects in astronomy. Now, however, it turns out that all three of these effects should have been expected from other considerations; they can be shown to follow from more conventional physical analyses without the need for his theory and its rather drastic "nonphysical" concepts. A theory of gravitation is developed in this paper that follows the same analytical form as that which has proved to be so successful in electric theory, namely the form of Maxwell's four field equations in his electromagnetic theory of light. This theory yields all of the applications known from Newton's theory of gravitation plus the "expected" dynamical effects of gravitational waves and radiation, minute effects that Newton failed to provide for. If this new theory of gravitation is accepted, it will greatly alter the foundations of modern cosmology. Although the predicted gravitational radiation effects have the same order of magnitude as Einstein's, there is enough difference in value that if these effects are ever measured with sufficient accuracy this theory may be the "winner" This theory has not yet been completely explored; but it appears to be a satisfying alternative to Einstein's general theory of relativity; with much greater physical plausibility.