The Elastic Equilibrium Bubble: A Proposed Physical Mechanism for Inertial-Frame Equivalence and the Michelson-Morley Null Result

Abstract

The principle of Galilean relativity — that no experiment can distinguish rest from uniform motion — is conventionally stated as a fundamental axiom. This paper proposes, within the Elastic Three-Dimensional Lattice (RTE) framework, a candidate physical mechanism: when a body moves at constant velocity, the RTE model hypothesizes that the elastic lattice self-organizes around it, forming a local zone of elastic equilibrium — an elastic bubble — in which no tension variations are detectable. From inside the bubble, uniform motion is hypothesized to be indistinguishable from rest. The paper develops this concept and shows how it offers an interpretation of the Michelson-Morley null result consistent with an adaptive medium, distinct from the classical fixed ether. No quantitative derivation of bubble dynamics, bubble size, or Lorentz transformation is provided: this is a conceptual mechanism paper. The primary falsifiable feature of the model is the elastic bubble boundary — a physical transition region between the co-moving equilibrium and the undisturbed external lattice that has no counterpart in the standard Lorentz-invariant framework. Companion papers: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22016878 | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22016982 | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22070610