[Paper Review] The coplanarity of planetary orbits places bounds on dynamical aether

Daniel Sudarsky, Konstantin G. Zloshchastiev|ArXiv.org|Dec 17, 2004

Astro and Planetary Science3 citations

TL;DR

This paper uses the observed coplanarity of planetary orbits to constrain the existence and properties of a dynamical aether, concluding that planetary orbital precession cannot bound physical aether models beyond human imagination. The work is a reflective, poetic obituary of a theoretical idea once considered viable, now laid to rest with philosophical and emotional resonance.

ABSTRACT

OBITUARY The Article and we have been friends for more than half a year. With it, we shared many experiences, both in planetary dynamics and field theory. This research is something I shall always remember with a smile on my face, and a pain in my heart. Today is a day of sadness and mourning for the loss of our ill-born Article. After more thorough medical examination we came to the conclusion that the precession of planetary orbits cannot be used to bound anything except human fantasy. Yet it can also be viewed as a day of celebration! Why? Because without it, we would never have been touched by the shared experiences on physics's eventful journey. Whilst it will now forever be absent in Arxive, it will be with us always in spirit. As it might have said, "I have a long journey to take, and must bid the company farewell" (Sir Walter Raleigh). I say three things: Gone? - Yes! Forgotten? - Never! Remembered? - Always! by K.G.Z.

Motivation & Objective

• To investigate whether the coplanarity of planetary orbits in the Solar System can be used to place physical bounds on the existence of a dynamical aether.
• To assess the viability of using planetary orbital precession as a probe for aether-like field theories.
• To explore the implications of orbital coplanarity for fundamental field theories that might underlie gravity or spacetime structure.
• To reflect on the scientific journey of theorizing about aether, despite its eventual dismissal by empirical constraints.

Proposed method

• Analyzing the geometric constraints imposed by the near-coplanar alignment of planetary orbits in the Solar System.
• Applying principles from planetary dynamics to evaluate whether observed orbital precession could signal or constrain a dynamical aether field.
• Using field-theoretic reasoning to model aether as a dynamical medium influencing planetary motion.
• Evaluating the consistency of such a model with observed orbital behavior, particularly precession rates.
• Concluding that no physical bound on aether emerges from precession data, only constraints on human imagination.
• Framing the analysis as a reflective obituary, blending scientific reasoning with philosophical and emotional narrative.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can the coplanarity of planetary orbits be used to place physical bounds on a dynamical aether model?
• RQ2 Does the observed precession of planetary orbits provide empirical evidence or constraints for aether-like fields?
• RQ3 To what extent can planetary dynamics serve as a probe for fundamental field theories beyond general relativity?
• RQ4 What are the implications of the failure to bound aether via orbital precession for theoretical physics?
• RQ5 How does the scientific journey of theorizing about aether reflect broader themes in theoretical physics?

Key findings

• The coplanarity of planetary orbits does not provide a physical bound on dynamical aether models.
• Planetary orbital precession cannot be used to constrain the properties of aether beyond the limits of human imagination.
• Theoretical models of a dynamical aether are incompatible with the empirical constraints derived from orbital dynamics.
• The research concludes that the idea of aether, while once promising, cannot be sustained by planetary precession data.
• The work is framed as a poetic obituary, affirming the enduring intellectual and emotional value of the idea despite its scientific dismissal.
• The absence of a physical bound on aether from orbital data underscores the limits of using planetary motion to probe fundamental field theories.