Abstract

Against the conservative attitude of the academic world, a massive number of clues indicate that our universe consists substantially in an undetectable fundamental essence, which is commonly referred to as ?ether?. The need for the ?ether? was finally and openly admitted even by Einstein; whereas quantum physics lingers still on fuzzy concepts like ?zero/ground energy level? or similar ones, with no capacity of re-founding physics from the bottom up. The basic problem is now to try hypotheses on what the ether is and which properties are inherent in it.

This paper draws materials also from a book of mine, to try suggestions for a different approach to physics. The space of our universe is here addressed as it were a finite physical?though undetectable?fluid continuum (not consisting of component particles), here dubbed the ?plenum?, which is surrounded (and partly permeated) by a boundless space of ?true vacuum? (the void). In the void no physical event occurs. All material elements and detectable phenomena are effects of kinematical states of the ?plenum?. Allowing for such a basic assumption, the principal issue addressed here regards gravity and gravitation. Instead of ?mutual attraction between masses?, gravitation is here viewed and described as one particular effect associated with vortexes of plenum that establish gravitational fields. Also the formation of mass and the aggregation of matter components are viewed as states of plenum around nuclei of void, which ?enters? the physical space through tears and openings caused by motions and/or turbulence of the plenum. The analysis leads to the formulation of tentative gravity and gravitational equations, though a complete solution to them requires further research.