Abstract (Theoretical Framework)
This paper develops the strong-field sector of Density Field Dynamics (DFD), a framework in which gravity and light are governed by a single scalar refractive field. We establish that the theory admits stable, mathematically consistent strong-field solutions and derive concrete predictions for phenomena traditionally associated with curved spacetime: photon spheres, black-hole–like horizons, and shadow sizes observable by the Event Horizon Telescope. We construct a gravitational-wave sector that reproduces the standard quadrupole law while permitting measurable deviations that can be directly confronted with LIGO and Virgo data. The analysis highlights a decisive laboratory discriminator — a sector-resolved cavity–atom frequency comparison across altitude — that provides a clean, achievable test capable of falsifying either DFD or General Relativity. Taken together, these results show that DFD extends consistently from weak fields into the nonlinear regime, preserves agreement with all confirmed tests of relativity, and makes precise, falsifiable predictions for both astrophysical observations and laboratory experiments.
DFD_Cover_Letter Strong_Fields_and_Gravitational_Waves_in_Density_Field_Dynamics__From_Optical_First_Principles_to_Quantitative_Tests-1