Physics at Orrick Research

Orrick Research develops mathematical models addressing foundational questions in physics. Our work investigates the relationships among geometry, motion, matter, and the physical quantities we can measure.

Led by Brian Orrick, the physics program connects theoretical development with analytical calculation, computational modeling, and comparisons with experimental and observational evidence.

At the center of this research is Complex Mechanics, a framework investigating whether phenomena across different physical scales can emerge from a common mathematical structure. Our objective is to derive quantitative relationships that can be examined, reproduced, and tested.

Our foundational research examines how the structure of spacetime may give rise to familiar physical laws and observable properties.

The Complex Spacetime and Complex Dimensional Mechanics paper series develops a framework based on three complex spatial dimensions and one real time dimension. It investigates the consequences of this structure across classical mechanics, electromagnetism, relativity, quantum mechanics, particle physics, and cosmology.

Current investigations address:

• The relationship between geometry and physical forces
• The emergence of classical and quantum descriptions
• Particle masses and characteristic properties
• Electromagnetic interactions and charge quantization
• Gravitational behavior across different scales
• The physical effects attributed to dark matter and dark energy
• Connections among physical constants

The published research materials include mathematical derivations and supporting numerical calculations, providing a basis for detailed examination of the framework and its predictions.

Explore the Complex Spacetime Research

Physical constants connect mathematical descriptions with measured reality. Understanding whether relationships among those constants follow from a deeper structure is an important part of our research.

One project investigates a proposed analytical relationship among Newton’s gravitational constant, the top-quark mass, the reduced Planck constant, and the speed of light.

This work examines the mathematical basis of the relationship, its numerical agreement with measured quantities, and the opportunities for testing it through more precise measurements.

Related investigations explore how gravitational behavior may connect with the geometry underlying the broader Complex Mechanics framework.

Read the Research on Newton’s Gravitational Constant

Our particle-physics research investigates whether measurable particle properties can be derived within a common mathematical framework.

Topics include quark and lepton masses, the organization of quarks into baryons, quantized charge, and the relationships among particle structure, motion, and interaction.

The program also examines foundational quantum questions, including exclusion behavior, the assumptions underlying Bell-type inequalities, and the connection between continuous dynamics and quantized observations.

These investigations connect analytical derivations with numerical comparisons, making the assumptions and consequences of each proposed relationship explicit.

Relativistic motion raises questions about how acceleration, internal forces, and the transmission of information interact within an extended body.

Our work on Bell’s spaceship problem examines the dynamics of a connected ship–thread–ship system. The research treats the thread’s mechanical response and the ships’ control laws as explicit parts of the model.

It investigates the conditions governing separation, strain, and acceleration, together with proposed clock measurements that could distinguish different motions of the assembly.

The accompanying research materials include the manuscript and computational verification resources.

Read the Ships & Strings Research

Theoretical conclusions depend on an accurate account of what an experiment measured and how its apparatus operated.

Our cold-neutron research revisits a 1975 Stern–Gerlach experiment, examining the relationship between reported beam splitting and calculations based on the magnetic field.

The analysis considers apparatus configurations, measured field profiles, beam wavelengths, and the assumptions used in reconstructing the experiment. It identifies contributions to a previously reported discrepancy and describes the differences that remain unresolved.

This work illustrates an important part of our approach: returning to primary experimental sources and making each step between measurement and interpretation explicit.

Read the Cold-Neutron Research

At larger scales, our research investigates how spacetime geometry and its dynamics may relate to the behavior of galaxies and the evolution of the universe.

Topics include galaxy rotation, the relationship between visible matter and observed gravitational behavior, and proposed physical interpretations of dark matter and dark energy.

The broader program also examines cosmological behavior associated with a zero fundamental cosmological constant.

The objective is to develop calculations that can be compared with observations across multiple systems, with clearly identified inputs, assumptions, and uncertainties.

Our physics program is closely connected to continuing work in mathematical mechanics.

One project develops a C-point force-center reformulation of Newtonian three-body dynamics. It examines geometric relationships among gravitational forces and provides a normalized framework for evaluating the system’s motion.

This research explores how alternative mathematical representations can reveal useful structure within familiar physical equations.

Read the Three-Body Research

Our publication pages connect visitors with manuscripts, supporting calculations, and available research materials on Zenodo.

We welcome technical questions, independent analysis, replication efforts, and opportunities for collaboration. Researchers interested in a particular result are encouraged to identify the paper, derivation, or dataset they would like to discuss.