Charge conservation in a gravitational field in the scalar ether theory

TL;DR

This paper investigates charge conservation in a scalar ether theory with gravity, showing that modified Maxwell equations predict charge non-conservation, but standard equations with an interaction tensor restore conservation and may relate to dark matter.

Contribution

The work introduces an asymptotic scheme for electromagnetic fields in weak gravitational fields and demonstrates that standard Maxwell equations with an interaction tensor are compatible with the scalar ether theory.

Findings

Modified Maxwell equations predict charge non-conservation.

Standard Maxwell equations with an interaction tensor restore charge conservation.

Interaction energy could contribute to dark matter.

Abstract

A modification of the Maxwell equations due to the presence of a gravitational field was formerly proposed for a scalar theory with a preferred reference frame. With this modification, the electric charge is not conserved. The aim of the present work was to numerically assess the amount of charge production or destruction. We propose an asymptotic scheme for the electromagnetic field in a weak and slowly varying gravitational field. This scheme is valid independently of the theory and the "gravitationally-modified" Maxwell equations. Then we apply this scheme to plane waves and to a group of Hertzian dipoles in the scalar ether theory. The predicted amounts of charge production/destruction discard the formerly proposed gravitationally-modified Maxwell equations. The theoretical reason for that is the assumption that the total energy tensor is the sum of the energy tensor of the medium producing the electromagnetic (e.m.) field and the e.m. energy tensor. This means that an additional, "interaction" tensor has to be present. With this assumption, the standard Maxwell equations in a curved spacetime, which predict charge conservation, are compatible with the investigated theory. We find that the interaction energy might contribute to the dark matter.