By using a language as accessible to as broad an audience as possible, in this paper we identify serious insufficiencies of the neutrino and quark hypotheses for the synthesis of the neutrons from protons and electrons inside stars according to the familiar reaction ${{\rm p}^+ + \bar {\nu} + {\rm e}^-\rightarrow {\rm n}}$ . We introduce, apparently for the first time, the hypothesis that the energy and spin needed for the synthesis of the neutron originate either from the environment or (...) from the ether conceived as a universal medium with very high energy density via an entity here called etherino, denoted with the letter “a” (from the Latin aether), carrying mass and charge 0, spin ${1\over 2}$ and 0.78 MeV energy according to the synthesis ${{\rm p}^+ + {\rm a} + {\rm e}^-\rightarrow {\rm n}}$ . We identify the compatibility ${{\rm p}^+ + {\rm a} + {\rm e}^-\rightarrow {\rm n}\rightarrow {\rm p}^+ + {\rm e}^- + \bar \nu}$ and the incompatibility condition ${{\rm p}^+ + {\rm a} + {\rm e}^-\rightarrow {\rm n}\rightarrow {\rm p}^+ + {\rm e}^- + \bar{{\rm a}}}$ of the neutrino and etherino hypotheses, the latter representing the possible return of missing features to the ether, without being necessarily in conflict with neutrino experiments. We review the new structure model of the neutron and hadrons at large with massive physical constituents produced free in the spontaneous decays as permitted by the covering hadronic mechanics. We show its compatibility with the standard model when interpreted as only providing the final Mendeleev-type classification of hadrons. We point out basically new clean energies predicted by the new model. We indicate new experiments confirming the above studies although in a preliminary form. Finally, we conclude with the proposal of new experiments suggested for the much needed search of new clean energies. (shrink)

The most majestic scientific achievement, of this century in mathematical beauty, axiomatic consistency, and experimental verifications has been special relativity with its unitary structure at the operator level, and canonical structure at the classical levels, which has turned out to be exactly valid for point particles moving in the homogenenous and isotropic vacuum (exterior dynamical problems). In recent decades a number of authors have studied nonunitary and noncanonical theories, here generally calleddeformations for the representation of broader conditions, such as extended (...) and deformable particles moving within inhomogeneous and anisotrophic physical media (interior dynamical problems). In this paper we show that nonunitary deformations, including, q-, k-, quatum-, Lie-isotopic, Lie-admissible, and other deformations, even thoughmathematically correct, have a number of problematic aspects ofphysical character when formulated on conventional spaces over conditional fields, such as lack of invariance of the basic space-time units, ambiguous applicability to measurements, loss of Hermiticity-observability in time, lack of invariant numerical predictions, loss of the axions of special relativity, and others. We then show that the classical noncanonical counterparts of the above nonunitary deformations are equally afflicted by corresponding problems of physical consistency. We also show that the contemporary formulation of gravity is afflicted by similar problematic aspects because Riemannian spaces are noncanonical deformations of Minkowskian spaces, thus having noninvariant space-time units. We then point out that new mathematical methods, calledisotopies, genotopies, hyperstructures and their isoduals, offer the possibilities of constructing a nonunitary theory, known asrelativistic hadronic mechanics which: (1) is as axiomatically consistent as relativistic quantum mechanics, (2) preserves the abstract axioms of special relativity, and (3) results in a completion of the conventional mechanics much along the celebrated Einstein-Podolski-Rosen argument. A number of novel applications are indicated, such as a geometric unification of the special and general relativity via the isominkowskian geometry in which the two relativities are differentiated via the invariant basic unit, while preserving conventional Riemannian metrics, Einstein's field equations, and related experimental verifications; a novel operator form of gravity verifying the axioms of relativistic quantum mechanics under the universal isopoincaré symmetry; a new structure model of hadrons with conventional massive particles as physical constituents which is compatile with composite quarks and with established unitary classifications; and other novels applications in nuclear physics, astrophysics, theoretical biology, and other fields. The paper ends with the proposal of a number of new experiments, some of which may imply new practical applications, such as conceivable new forms of recycling nuclear waste. The achievement of axiomatic consistency in the study of the above physical problems has been possible for the first time in this paper thanks to mathematical advances that recently appeared in a special issue of theRendiconti Circolo Matematico Palermo, and in other journals identified in the Acknowledgements. (shrink)

It is shown that the time operatorQ 0 appearing in the realization of the RCCR's [Qμ,Pv]=−jhgμv, on Minkowski quantum spacetime is a self adjoint operator on Hilbert space of square integrable functions over Σ m =σ×v m , where σ is a timelike hyperplane. This result leads to time-energy uncertainty relations that match their space-momentum counterparts. The operators Qμ appearing in Born's metric operator in quantum spacetime emerge as internal spacetime operators for exciton states, and the condition that the metric (...) operator should possess a ground exciton state assumes the significance of achieving minimal spacetime4-momentum uncertainty in fundamental standards for spacetime measurements. (shrink)