Title: Gravitational Field Equations and Theory of Dark Matter and Dark Energy Authors: Tian Ma, Shouhong Wang
The main objective of this article is to derive a new set of gravitational field equations and to establish a new unified theory for dark energy and dark matter. The new gravitational field equations with scalar potential \varphi are derived using the Einstein-Hilbert functional, and the scalar potential \varphi is a natural outcome of the divergence-free constraint of the variational elements. Gravitation is now described by the Riemannian metric g_{ij}, the scalar potential \varphi and their interactions, unified by the new gravitational field equations. Associated with the scalar potential \varphi is the scalar potential energy density \frac{c^4}{8\pi G} \Phi=\frac{c^4}{8\pi G} g^{ij}D_iD_j \varphi, which represents a new type of energy caused by the non-uniform distribution of matter in the universe. The negative part of this potential energy density produces attraction, and the positive part produces repelling force. This potential energy density is conserved with mean zero: \int_M \Phi dM=0. The sum of this new potential energy density \frac{c^4}{8\pi G} \Phi and the coupling energy between the energy-momentum tensor T_{ij} and the scalar potential field \varphi gives rise to a new unified theory for dark matter and dark energy: The negative part of this sum represents the dark matter, which produces attraction, and the positive part represents the dark energy, which drives the acceleration of expanding galaxies. In addition, the scalar curvature of space-time obeys R=\frac{8\pi G}{c^4} T + \Phi. Furthermore, the new field equations resolve a few difficulties encountered by the classical Einstein field equations.
IU mathematician offers unified theory of dark matter, dark energy, altering Einstein field equations
A pair of mathematicians -- one from Indiana University and the other from Sichuan University in China -- have proposed a unified theory of dark matter and dark energy that alters Einstein's equations describing the fundamentals of gravity. Shouhong Wang, a professor in the IU College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Mathematics, and Tian Ma, a professor at Sichuan University, suggest the law of energy and momentum conservation in spacetime is valid only when normal matter, dark matter and dark energy are all taken into account. For normal matter alone, energy and momentum are no longer conserved, they argue. Read more