0-point energy screening and emergence of mass

In the mid-twentieth century, spacetime was visualized as the surface of a trampoline that curves under the effect of mass, a curvature predicted as early as 1915 by Einstein’s theory of general relativity. This representation gave rise to an erroneous idea of spacetime: on the one hand, it was seen as a static surface – albeit flexible enough to deform – and on the other as an abstract geometric construct separate from matter.

Nassim Haramein, Cyprien Guermonprez and Olivier Alirol [1] show that spacetime behaves more like a superfluid of coherent quantum energy. Mass and gravity emerge directly from this superfluid; it constitutes and models both space and matter at all scales. This dynamic is based on a screening process that filters and attenuates the vacuum’s energy density (ρ_vac) at each stage. Mass is thus seen as a dynamic, quantum property of the vacuum, rather than an intrinsic property of a particle.

Let’s take a closer look…

Vacuum energy

An energy found at every scale

Vacuum energy, or 0-point energy, is the result of quantum fluctuations. It is the energy present at absolute zero (-273.15°C), in the absence of any real particles or other forms of energy. It consists of a superposition of oscillations of different wavelengths and frequencies. Present everywhere in the universe and on all scales, it only manifests itself as a significant energy density in regions where space is coherent; that is to say, where vacuum fluctuations are constructively organized.

In regions where the vacuum is 100% coherent, all quantum fluctuations are synchronized and correlated. Their sum is then equal to ρ_vac. In contrast, where coherence is partial, the effective vacuum energy density becomes less than ρ_vac. In other words, part of the energy is decoherent and dissipates.

At the Planck scale, fluctuations are highly energetic and their effect is significant over very short distances. They strongly influence elementary particles and fundamental interactions. The energy of the vacuum appears divergent (infinite) because, in theory, it takes into account all the contributions of quantum fluctuations down to the highest frequencies, although they cannot be measured directly.

At larger scales, the fluctuations are still there, but they are much less energetic due to the screenings. Spacetime is then perceived as “smooth”, without the quantum variations that do exist in the background.

In Nassim Haramein’s model, the superfluid of spacetime is granular, made up of elementary oscillators called PSU (Planck Spherical Units). They aggregate according to different fractal geometries, which determine the intensity of the screenings from ρ_vac.

PSU: elementary oscillators on the Planck scale and first fractal level

PSU are elementary harmonic oscillators made up of quantum fluctuations. Their radius is equal to the smallest significant distance of a coherent spacetime: the Planck length. Small spherical regions of spacetime, PSUs are nevertheless undetectable on an individual scale because their energy is less than the energy quantum (E0 < ħꞷ). In order for them to produce a macroscopically measurable effect, they need to reach a certain degree of collective coherence. The emergence of mass and gravity depends directly on this coherence, and on the scale considered. When PSU interact in an organized way, the fluctuations of which they are formed are not only synchronized but also mutually reinforcing; so that energy can accumulate in stable configurations. PSU become detectable when they form a structure called a Kernel-64.

The kernel-64: PSU aggregate, initial micro black hole and second fractal level

“(…) remarkably, where general relativity meets the Planck scale the initial micro black hole pixel emerging from vacuum fluctuations is found to have an equivalence information structure between volume to surface ratio of 64 PSU in the volume and 64 PSU on the surface, such that the information ratio Φ is in the order of unity generating a first scale voxel screening with a mass of the order of the Planck mass m_ℓ. This elementary black hole, which we coined kernel-64, has a volume 64 times larger than a PSU, which illustrates the screening mechanism and suggests dynamical processes and geometric relationships that occur in the Planck plasma flow within black hole structure. This kernel-64 is considered as a primary state of PSU organization.”

NASSIM HARAMEIN, CYPRIEN GUERMONPREZ ET OLIVIER ALIROL [2]

At the scale of PSU, vacuum fluctuations are small and local. Through organization in a Kernel-64, these fluctuations combine constructively to generate and maintain coherent effects; these effects can then be observed on a larger scale such as that of the proton.

In a Kernel-64, the PSU are arranged in a flower-of-life pattern

The Kernel-64 has the mass, density and structure to generate the spacetime curvature
needed to form a micro black hole. The information conveyed by this structure
is balanced between its surface and its volume, in an ideal 64:64 ratio.

The Kernel-64 has a volume 64 times larger than a PSU, so the effective energy that was available on the Planck scale (64 isolated PSU) is reduced on the Kernel-64 scale (64 aggregated PSU). In other words, the energy is screened, as would be that of 64 light bulbs combined into one. This ratio also suggests a fractal progression: PSU organize themselves according to specific resonances, precisely those that minimize the system’s overall resistance and help maintain its coherence. This is equivalent to applying the principle of least action, for which coherent vacuum modes [3] (specific resonances) correspond to optimal paths for structuring energy. Thus, there is a geometric (fractal) relationship between the curvature of spacetime and the way energy is distributed. One could say that Kernel-64 acts as a coherence regulator, stabilizing energy over a long period within a certain volume of spacetime. The resonance organization of PSU – their maximum coherence without energy dissipation – leads us to consider spacetime (Planck plasma) as a superfluid. However, the Planck plasma is superfluid only as long as coherence is total; when it experiences coherence breaks (with screenings), mass emerges [4].

The Planck plasma, a superfluid under pressure

“Once [PSU] become coherent and adopt a collective movement they start to create an energy flow that we call mass. We identify this energy flow as a Planck plasma with phase transitions generating boundaries resulting in energy screening.”

NASSIM HARAMEIN, CYPRIEN GUERMONPREZ ET OLIVIER ALIROL [5]

The Planck plasma is both made up of PSU and responsible for their formation. In fact, it follows a self-organizing dynamic, generating itself the conditions favorable to the appearance of new PSU.

Representation of the Planck plasma as a superfluid

As long as vacuum fluctuations remain decoherent, their pressure is uniformly distributed. In regions where they become coherent, they create a concentration of energy and a local increase in pressure. When the latter reaches a critical threshold (of the order of the energy of the vacuum (∼10⁹³kg/m³)), it acts on the elasticity of the Planck plasma until it causes a local curvature, which can be considered as the curvature of spacetime. This allows stable structures such as the PSU, Kernel-64 or the proton, themselves formed from this plasma, to remain self-organized. Kernel-64 is the first bubble in the quantum foam that emerges from the vacuum; a foam, however, that is more structured and organized than the one conceptualized by physicist John Wheeler. This is not a chaos of unpredictable fluctuations, but rather a model in which fluctuations take on a coherent form and generate mass. The dynamics of Planck plasma is thus governed by fractal geometric properties and a vortex-like evolution, from the quantum to the cosmological scale. Let’s now take a closer look at the notions of coherence and decoherence.

Coherence and decoherence of vacuum fluctuations

General principle

Space and matter are merely different states of the underlying quantum vacuum, formed respectively by the non-coherent phases of vacuum fluctuations, and the coherent phases. When fluctuations become coherent, they oscillate synchronously. The regular, ordered patterns they follow lead to constructive behavior in the interactions between electromagnetic fields: energy then accumulates in stable configurations. At certain scales, such as that of the proton, they are sufficiently persistent in time and space to be detected [6]. As the scale of observation increases, the fluctuations become less synchronized and the vacuum modes decoherent. This decoherence process is associated with ρ_vac screening, as well as with energy dissipation (entropy) such as can be observed in classical systems [7]. The degree of coherence in vacuum fluctuations on different scales is quantized using correlation functions.

Correlation functions

Correlation functions are usually used to describe local interactions; they quantify spatial and temporal correlations in systems where particles or fields interact.

Nassim Haramein and his co-authors apply them to global phenomena, describing the transition between coherence and decoherence of vacuum fluctuations at different scales. More precisely, correlation functions quantify the way in which vacuum energy is distributed and organized. They essentially represent a relationship between a system’s energy (its phase state) and a specific distance, known as the dephasing distance. Indeed, coherent states change with distance (scale of observation), but are relatively stable over time.

Ordered correlation functions describe coherent fluctuations. They lead to the stability of certain quantum objects such as protons, and in particular to the confinement of quarks within these particles. When fluctuations lose their coherence, correlation becomes disordered. Fluctuations then interact more randomly, leading to the local dispersion of energy and the emergence of mass.

And, in this model, emergence of mass means screening mechanism.

Screening and emergence of mass

Authors' approach

Nassim Haramein and his co-authors seek to create a link between Einstein’s field equations and 𝜌_vac. They consider that the energy of the coherent vacuum is the fundamental element that curves spacetime. By applying the field equations to 𝜌_vac in a significant volume for the proton, they find a mass equivalent to that of a proton-sized black hole. In other words, the proton can be considered as a Schwarzschild black hole-like solution, but on a quantum scale.

They then show how 𝜌_vac is filtered a first time to produce an extremely large effective mass, corroborating the fact that the proton is a black hole.

Then they return to the Planck and PSU scales to establish a coherent fundamental basis to explain the formation of the proton. As we have seen, PSU are self-gravitating oscillators, able to maintain their stability by locally curving spacetime; they thus encapsulate coherent quantum fluctuations and form, by aggregation, the proton.

Screening at the proton scale and third fractal level

The first screening takes place at the Compton horizon λ_p. The Compton length (around 0.21 fm, or 1.32×10⁻¹⁵ m) represents the limit at which a particle must be treated with relativistic quantum mechanical tools. At this scale, energy is filtered through a number of single PSU, so the filtering mesh is very fine. The coherence of vacuum fluctuations remains very strong, vacuum energy density is close to ρ_vac and we obtain the mass of the proton black hole (5.632 x 10¹⁴ g).

The second screening takes place at the horizon of the proton charge radius r_p. This measurement (around 0.84 fm, or 0.84×10⁻¹⁵ m) indicates the extent of the zone in which the proton’s electric charge is concentrated. Here, vacuum fluctuations no longer pass through single PSU, but through Kernel-64, which further filter the energy. The fluctuations gradually lose their coherence. The impact of the vacuum’s energy density diminishes, leading to a much lower (observable) mass: the rest mass of the proton (1.671 x 10^-24 g, or 938 MeV) [8].

Screening can also be viewed in this way: the proton’s surface acts as a semi-permeable membrane, keeping some of the vacuum energy inside the volume.

Schematic representation of the screening processes producing rest mass from vacuum quantum fluctuations ρ_vac; from the first screening at Compton wavelength λ_p = r_p/4 (surface η_λ) and the second screening at proton charge radius r_p (surface η₆₄ or η_p) result the black hole proton density and rest mass energy density respectively. Source : The Origin of Mass and the Nature of Gravity, p.20

The pixelated surface η (Eta)

“Unlike the QED scheme which reduces the mass of particles from an infinite ’bare’ mass using vacuum fluctuations, we identify the vacuum fluctuations as the source of mass that is shielded to produce the observed mass-energy density (…) we find that the production of mass for the proton, which constitutes most of the mass in the universe, from the ZPE ρ_vac requires two surface screenings by the surface vacuum fluctuations η_λ [reduced Compton wavelength] and η_p [proton charge radius] enclosing the volumes R_λ and R_p, respectively.”

NASSIM HARAMEIN, CYPRIEN GUERMONPREZ ET OLIVIER ALIROL [9]

After each screening, the energy density in the proton volume is lower than the total vacuum energy density, as if we were filtering ρ_vac with an increasingly large sieve (PSU then Kernel-64). The intensity of the reduction is in fact defined by the number of PSU present at the surface η. Eta represents a geometrical boundary around a volume within which coherent vacuum fluctuations are stably organized [10].

In Nassim Haramein’s model, this surface is used to describe the zone in which Kernel-64 and vacuum fluctuations interact coherently to generate mass and gravity. The physicist uses this surface to link the geometric properties of spacetime (inspired by general relativity) to the dynamics of quantum fluctuations. In other words, this surface integrates the geometry of massive objects with the dynamics of quantum fields. Let’s take a closer look at the dynamics of the proton.

The internal dynamics of the proton and its implications

The forces at work

According to general relativity, mass curves spacetime in proportion to energy density, and this density can be related to a pressure applied to the object. In Nassim Haramein’s model, the pressure is applied by the Planck plasma, which curves in certain regions, confines coherent energy and manifests itself as mass.

“The proton can be considered as a resonant cavity generating a Casimir force equivalent to an energy gradient, eliminating the short wavelength of the vacuum fluctuations, so that when we add up all the resonant modes of the cavity, we obtain again the mass of the proton, and also demonstrating that the nuclear confinement force analogous to the Casimir effect also arises from the dynamics of the quantum vacuum fluctuations of the zero-point field.”

NASSIM HARAMEIN, CYPRIEN GUERMONPREZ ET OLIVIER ALIROL [11]

The mechanism that creates both the pressure within the proton’s volume and the pressure beyond its surface can be compared to a Casimir effect.

In fact, the Planck plasma generates a constant pressure not only inside the proton (via the Kernel-64s encapsulating the coherent energy), but also outside [12]. The dynamic equilibrium created between these two pressures enables the proton to maintain the coherence of its structure.

The proton’s surface therefore plays a crucial role. It acts as a boundary where internal coherence gives way to external decoherence. The latter helps explain why this internal stability does not extend indefinitely.

Time coherence of the proton

Vacuum fluctuations (or zero-point energy) are not homogeneous in time. They can be seen as a series of quantum fluctuations occurring on different time and space scales. These fluctuations are responsible for the energy that powers structures like the proton. Each quantum fluctuation has an associated coherence time, which can be longer or shorter depending on the scale at which it occurs.

The proton, in this model, is a dynamical system that constantly interacts with the energy of the vacuum. So, although each fluctuation in the vacuum has its own coherence time, the proton maintains its overall stability over a very long time scale, because it is continuously fed by these fluctuations.

For massive particles in general, quantum fluctuations can also be interpreted as a form of spacetime pressure (Planck plasma) acting on matter and stabilizing the energy contained in massive particles.

Why the black hole proton doesn't evaporate

Hawking radiation, discovered by Stephen Hawking in 1974, is a phenomenon that directly links the fluctuations of the quantum vacuum to the physics of black holes. According to this physicist, black holes are not totally “black”, but emit a small amount of thermal radiation due to quantum effects near the event horizon. This radiation comes from pairs of virtual particles created by vacuum fluctuations near the horizon. One of these particles falls into the black hole, while the other escapes gravitational attraction and moves away as radiation [13].

This process leads to a loss of energy from the black hole, which slowly decreases in mass and could, in theory, evaporate completely over extremely long timescales. Hawking’s radiation thus demonstrates the importance of vacuum fluctuations in extreme gravitational interactions; it also supports the idea that even black holes are influenced by quantum vacuum processes.

In Nassim Haramein’s model, the proton is a black hole. However, unlike astrophysical black holes, which gradually lose mass, the proton does not evaporate, since it is constantly fed by the energy of the quantum vacuum. The authors explain that Planck-scale vacuum fluctuations, via the process of screening and decoherence, provide a continuous source of energy that compensates for any potential loss associated with a Hawking-type evaporation mechanism.

After applying the screening process to the energy density of the vacuum to show the emergence of mass, the authors apply it to the Planck force. They then show how gravity, as we know it on the cosmological scale, emerges. See you in the next article to discover this remarkable unification of forces ^^

Key points

Vacuum energy is present on all scales, but only manifests itself as a significant energy density in regions where space is coherent. When the vacuum is 100% coherent, it is equal to ρ_vac.
PSU are small oscillators of Planck length; they filter the ρ_vacenergy according to their geometric organization. They are detectable only when they reach a certain degree of collective coherence.
A first screening of ρ_vactakes place at Compton wavelength (proton scale): ρ_vac is filtered by a surface of a number of individual PSU, resulting in the mass of the proton black hole.
A second screening takes place at the proton’s charge radius: ρ_vacis filtered by kernel-64 (fractal aggregates of 64 PSU), resulting in the proton rest mass.
Planck plasma (spacetime) is a superfluid both made up of PSU and responsible for their formation. It generates pressure within the proton volume and beyond its surface. The balance of these pressures guarantees the proton stability (the coherence of its structure).
The proton is a mini-black hole that doesn’t evaporate because it’s continuously powered by Planck’s plasma.

Notes & references

[1] See the paper The Origin of Mass and the Nature of Gravity
[2] The origin of mass and the nature of gravity, op.cit., p.24
[3] A vacuum mode is a possible solution to the quantum field equations, which describes how a vacuum fluctuation evolves in space and time.
[4] This loss of coherence is equivalent to exceeding the critical velocity in a ‘classical’ superfluid, a velocity beyond which superfluidity is compromised; quantum vortices can then form, and energy dissipates locally, which, in Nassim Haramein’s model, corresponds respectively to the formation of PSU / Kernel-64 and the appearance of mass.
[5] The origin of mass and the nature of gravity, op.cit., p.19
[6] At our scale, an example of a coherent system is the laser: it has spatial coherence that allows it to produce a narrow beam, while its temporal coherence enables it to maintain precision over long distances.
[7] To learn more about the concept of entropy, you can refer to this article on entropy.
[8] If the emergence of mass is due to the gravitational coherence of the PSU, the emergence of electric charge, on the other hand, is due to the electromagnetic organization of the PSU.
[9] The origin of mass and the nature of gravity, op.cit., p.21
[10] This connects to the pixelated surface η, which Nassim Haramein had identified in his previous work.
[11] HARAMEIN Nassim, quoted by International Space Federation
[12] The internal pressure is on the order of 10³⁴ Pa (shown in the figure representing the screening processes), and will be the subject of a specific explanation in the next article.
[13] Also see this article on the entropy of black holes.

On the same theme

0-point energy screening
and emergence of mass

Table of CONTENTS