Screening and absorption of gravitation in pre-relativistic and relativistic theories

TL;DR

This paper reviews early and modern theories of gravity focusing on mechanisms like screening and absorption, comparing pre-relativistic and relativistic models, and discussing their implications and challenges.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive comparison of non-Newtonian effects and absorption mechanisms in various pre- and relativistic gravity theories, highlighting their successes and issues.

Findings

Non-Newtonian effects can cause screening and absorption in gravity theories.

Relativistic theories like fourth-order and tetrad theories exhibit absorption effects.

Challenges remain in establishing a unified framework for comparing gravity theories.

Abstract

After commenting on the early search for a mechanism explaining the Newtonian action-at-a-distance gravitational law we review non-Newtonian effects occurring in certain ansatzes for shielding, screening and absorption effects in pre-relativistic theories of gravity. Mainly under the aspect of absorption and suppression (or amplification), we then consider some implications of these ansatzes for relativistic theories of gravity and discuss successes and problems in establishing a general framework for a comparison of alternative relativistic theories of gravity. We examine relativistic representatives of theories with absorption and suppression (or amplification) effects, such as fourth-order theories, tetrad theories and the Einstein-Cartan-Kibble-Sciama theory.