Cosmic Texture Theory (CTT) – Article 2: The Mechanical Reality of Light, the Impossibility of Spacetime Curvature, and the Hydrodynamic Origin of Galactic Rotation

Abstract

This second article in the Cosmic Texture Theory (CTT) series provides a rigorous mechanical derivation of light, time, and gravitational phenomena from the Texton Continuum. It is demonstrated that Maxwell's equations are the natural linearized expressions of the shear dynamics of a continuous elastic medium—the Texton fabric. The speed of light cc is shown to be the characteristic wave propagation speed of this medium, determined by its shear modulus and density, making its constancy a mechanical necessity rather than a miraculous postulate. The cosmic redshift is mathematically modeled as viscoelastic attenuation of photonic waves over cosmic distances—an interpretation that resolves the JWST "early galaxy" crisis without invoking exotic physics. Time is rigorously defined as a derived comparative measure of motion, consistent with the timeless formulations of Barbour and Rovelli. Galactic rotation curves are shown to emerge from Newtonian gravity combined with the hydrodynamic dragging of Texton vortices, rendering both Dark Matter and MOND obsolete. This synthesis is directly supported by recent Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) data confirming Newton's inverse-square law on megaparsec scales. Includes comprehensive citations to Einstein, Maxwell, Casimir, Zwicky, Gupta, Barbour, Rovelli, Laughlin, and the 2023 ACT collaboration.