H-aether theory is an attempt to describe the way in which light travels through free space. It is based on the notion that light initially travels at c with respect to its source but subsequently changes speed as it traverses long distances. This occurs as a result of very weak interactions with other EM as well as with gravity gradients. The theory is purely speculative and no supporting mathematics is provided. Any statement made herein is liable to change at any time. Constructive comments are welcome.

H-aether can be broadly defined as 'the stuff that makes empty space carrying EM different from empty space'. H-aether is the 'medium' that allows action-at-a-distance to occur even in a complete vacuum. What constitutes H-aether is of no importance at this stage but it is postulated that EM carries its own H-aether along with itself. If there is no EM, there is no H-aether.

The H-aether concept basically assumes that light is projected through space in self-contained and self-propagating packages that possess intrinsic properties, including an amount of H-aether that carries the E and B fields. A light beam passing through space both alters that space due to its own presence and is itself altered by interaction with other EM in that space. The degree to which this happens depends on the amount of other EM present. In the macroscopic sense, H-aether possesses 'density' and density gradients.

The principle behind the H-aether theory.

The theory can best be understood by way of analogy. In essence, it claims that the component photons of a light beam projected into empty space behave somewhat similarly to the molecules of a high-pressure gas jet spurting into a near vacuum. In the latter case, the amount of angular dispersion of the jet depends on the transverse collision frequency of molecules. With increasing speed, the mean distance between molecules also increases so that the likelihood of collisions decreases rapidly. At near light speed, it is fair to say that minimal cross interaction will occur. In time however, such a jet will be slowed and dispersed due to occasional collisions with stray particles encountered along the way. All momentum changes are absorbed into the surrounding gas, of which the molecules of the jet eventually become part.

The analogy should not be taken too literally however, because light does not come to rest like the gas molecules. Rather, its speed will gravitate towards an equilibrium value that any designated volume of space will uniquely possess (also c in that volume's 'frame'). To illustrate this, consider a very large spherical 'plastic bag' somewhere in space. Irrespective of the bag's motion, light and other EM will enter it from all directions. Theoretically, the total (vector) momentum of all this EM can be continuously monitored and the bag's speed adjusted so that the total always remains at zero. In that condition, the bag defines the local H-aether rest frame. Light inside the bag will 'try to' travel at c wrt the bag. Any extraneous EM entering and crossing the bag, at a speed other than c, will experience a very weak equilibrating influence.

Next, consider that space is filled with many such bags, all circulating and moving at different velocities like balloons floating in the atmosphere. External light passing through them will slightly speed up or slow down accordingly. The degree of this acceleration will depend on the H-aether 'density' inside each bag.

So, while it is not possible to attribute absolute properties to particular regions of H-aether, it IS possible to imagine relative movements between those regions and gradients between them.

By now the reader will have identified an obvious problem. Near any star or large body of matter, there should be a mass exodus of H-aether. All the 'bags' around any star should be moving away and they would all be extremely 'heavy'. All light approaching a star would be slowed considerably by this outward flow of H-aether.

Enter gravity. It is further postulated that H-aether is affected by gravity in the same way as matter. That is it accelerates as it falls. (The Pound-Rebka experiment supports this concept) Light reaching a star from infinity will speed up by the surface escape velocity of that star. Thus the effect of gravity will normally counteract that of the H-aether, although this latter is obviously temperature dependent. It is also speculated that gravity and H-aether movement might be related in some important way. It must be emphasized however that the influence of both gravity and H-aether on light speed is extremely weak throughout most of space. Binary star data gives a few clues about this.

Not much is known about photon/photon interactions. However this theory says that the velocity of an individual photon passing through other light will be affected in some way. No mechanism by which this may occur is proposed at this stage. However, the notion is put forward that the when light changes speed in above manner there is always an associated entropy increase that eventually manifests itself as both the galactic red shift and the long wave radiation we know as the CMBR.

1) One Way Light Speed (OWLS) is initially always c relative to its source (in vacuum).

2) The speed of a light ray traveling through space varies as it passes through regions of different H-aether densities and density gradients.

3) The velocity of a ray of light passing through any volume of space will be tend to equilibrate with the local H-aether frame defined above.

4) The degree to which this occurs depends on the local H-aether density. As with ordinary matter, H-aether is extremely rare throughout most of space.

5) Light speed is affected by gravity in much the same way as ordinary matter.

6) The variation of cosmic light speed is associated with an entropy increase that is responsible for the galactic red shift and the CMBR