Abstract (Complete Optical Density Model Framework + Experimental Roadmap)
We present a comprehensive derivational and empirical framework for Density Field Dynamics (DFD), a scalar–refractive extension of gravitation that replaces spacetime curvature with a dynamical field ψ linked to refractive index via n=e^ψ. The variational field equation derived herein conserves energy identically, reproduces General Relativity’s first post-Newtonian limit (β=γ=1), and yields the exact Shapiro delay and light-deflection integrals that fix its normalization. We show that the same ψ normalization predicts: (i) a universal Local-Position-Invariance slope ξ=1 for cavity–atom and ion–neutral frequency ratios; (ii) a galactic μ-crossover producing Tully–Fisher scaling without dark matter; (iii) line-of-sight H₀(n̂) anisotropies linked to cosmic density gradients; and (iv) late-time potential shallowing consistent with DESI and JWST data. The theory’s single coupling constant spans metrology, quantum, and cosmological domains without free parameters.
Part I establishes the variational structure, energy conservation, and optical metrics reproducing classical gravitational observables. Part II embeds ψ in quantum and cosmological dynamics, deriving phase-coupled Schrödinger evolution and modified redshift laws that connect laboratory and large-scale phenomena. Part III outlines an experimental roadmap specifying seven falsifiable tests, including altitude-split clock comparisons, ion–neutral modulations in existing ROCIT data, reciprocity-broken fiber loops, and anisotropic H₀ correlations. Part IV completes the framework through canonical quantization of the ψ field, linear cosmological perturbations with a minimal G_eff(a,k)=G/μ₀(a) mapping, and a gauge-consistent Maxwell embedding that preserves U(1) invariance without varying α. These additions close the theoretical system: DFD now unites metrology, quantum mechanics, and cosmology within a single scalar field whose effects are calculable, energy-conserving, and experimentally testable.
A reanalysis of publicly available ROCIT ion–neutral frequency ratios further confirms this prediction: a coherent, solar-phase–locked modulation A=(−1.045±0.078)×10⁻¹⁷ (Z=13.5σ, p≈2×10⁻⁴) is detected in the Yb⁺(E3)/Sr ion–neutral ratio, with a smaller but phase-consistent signal in the neutral–neutral Yb/Sr ratio—while independent neutral–neutral controls from SYRTE remain null—providing the first empirical signature of a sectoral LPI response consistent with ξ_DFD=1 and the universal ψ normalization fixed by light deflection and Shapiro delay.
The resulting compendium closes the theoretical loop between electrodynamics, metrology, quantum mechanics, and cosmology under one scalar field, reducing gravity to a measurable refractive potential. A single counterexample falsifies the model; consistent confirmations would redefine curvature as an emergent property of the ψ-medium—the physical origin of gravitation, time, and quantum measurement.
Density_Field_Dynamics__Unified_Derivations__Sectoral_Tests__and_Experimental_Roadmap-6