Abstract

Special relativity abandoned the aether as superfluous. but recent tests involving verification of Bell's inequality call into question the validity of special relativity. Therefore. a re-examination of the classical concept of an aether is once again of considerable scientific interest. A postulated two-component solid aether can be used as a mechanical model to arrive at an axiomatic foundation for Maxwell's Equations. Simple axioms governing the solid aether are proposed that can be manipulated via traditional vector calculus to mathematically derive Maxwell's equations. The mechanical model for the aether leads to further physical interpretations for quantities such as electric charge. electric currents. the displacement current. electromagnetic waves and the scalar and vector potentials. Significantly. the model results in a unified physical interpretation for the displacement and electric currents.