Space as an Emergent Property of Fields

By Jim Redgewell

Abstract

This proposal explores the idea that space is not a static backdrop, nor a passive void, but an emergent phenomenon arising from the behavior of underlying quantum fields. Rooted in the foundations of my Tugboat Theory, I argue that space can be modeled as a low-energy, long-wavelength field state, with gravity, inertia, and time emerging as higher-order effects from its dynamic modulation. This approach draws on ideas from quantum gravity, holographic principles, and the delayed propagation of field interactions.

1. Introduction

In classical physics, space is the container in which matter and energy exist. In general relativity, it is a flexible fabric shaped by energy and momentum. Yet neither model fundamentally explains why space exists, nor what it is made of. If space is a thing, what kind of thing is it?

I propose that space is not a primary entity, but rather an emergent property of a deeper field or set of fields. This echoes ideas in quantum gravity, but builds on my own Tugboat Theory, which postulates that inertia and motion are due to time-delayed field interactions.

2. The Field-Based Model of Space

Fields—not particles—are the bedrock of reality. In quantum field theory (QFT), particles are localized excitations of underlying fields. I extend this concept further: space itself is what arises when a field settles into a ground-state configuration, characterized by:

Very low energy
Long wavelength
Low frequency

This would make space the “background hum” of reality—not empty, but the least energetic, most evenly spread configuration of fields possible.

As such, space is not a container in which fields exist; it is the field in its quietest form.

3. Gravity as Field Modulation

In this model, gravity is not a force, nor even strictly a curvature of spacetime, but rather a local modulation of this underlying field:

Mass-energy increases the local energy density of the field.
This causes local shortening of wavelength and increase in frequency—a ripple in the calm.
The result is curvature, interpreted through general relativity, but caused by deeper field behavior.

In this sense, gravity is the deviation of the vacuum field from equilibrium.

This interpretation aligns with the views of Carlo Rovelli and Lee Smolin, whose Loop Quantum Gravity framework posits that spacetime itself arises from discrete field interactions (Rovelli, 2004).

4. Inertia and Temporal Delay

The Tugboat Theory posits that inertia arises due to the time delay required for field effects to propagate through and synchronize with all constituents of a system. This delay is intrinsic to the structure of space itself:

Space resists change not because of its emptiness, but because it is a field with memory.
Motion and acceleration must be communicated through this field, and this communication is not instantaneous.

Thus, inertia, gravity, and time dilation are unified as manifestations of temporal and spatial lag in a field-based substrate.

5. Space, Time, and Frequency

If time is fundamentally linked to field oscillation rates, then a region of space with higher energy (i.e. near mass) would exhibit shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies. This correlates with:

Gravitational time dilation: Clocks run slower where the field is “compressed”.
Field gradients: Matter follows field modulations, not forces.

As Craig Callender and Carlo Rovelli argue, time may not be fundamental, but emergent from field relationships (Callender, 2017, Rovelli, 2018).

6. Connections to Other Theories

This proposal intersects with several modern theoretical approaches:

Holographic Principle (e.g. Leonard Susskind): Spacetime and gravity emerge from quantum entanglement patterns on a lower-dimensional boundary.
Stephen Wolfram’s Cellular Automaton Universe: Suggests spacetime and relativity arise from discrete, computational networks (Wolfram, 2020).
Eduardo O. Dias' geometric vacuum energy models: Reinforce the idea that vacuum has a latent structure shaping gravity and inertia.
Arvin Ash’s Explanatory Videos: Provide accessible overviews of spacetime as emergent from information and field states (YouTube).

7. Conclusion

Space, in this framework, is not an absolute void but the lowest-energy state of a deeply interactive field. What we call “vacuum” is a dynamic equilibrium, constantly in flux at the deepest level. Gravity, inertia, and time are not imposed upon this substrate, but emerge from its properties.

Reframing space this way could:

Bridge the gap between quantum field theory and general relativity,
Recontextualize inertial motion as an internal interaction with a delayed field network,
Open new paths toward quantum gravity and field-based propulsion.

Pages

Thursday, 8 May 2025