Substratum Hydrodynamics: A Unified Mechanical Framework for Nuclear Stability, Mass-Energy Equivalence, and the Infinite Universe

The unification of quantum forces with gravity remains the paramount challenge of modern theoretical physics. This paper proposes a solution through a hydrodynamic paradigm, treating the physical vacuum not as an empty void but as a superfluid medium (the “Substratum”) with definite elastic properties. We model the atom not as a system of discrete particles, but as a stable vortex formation within this continuous medium. Mathematical analysis demonstrates that the “Strong Interaction” and “Gravity” are manifestations of the same physical mechanism: hydrostatic pressure gradients acting at different spatial scales. We provide a novel derivation of the mass-energy equivalence ($E=mc^2$), defining mass as a state of localized substrate concentration and energy release as its relaxation into the free medium. Furthermore, based on the isotropic stability conditions of matter, we derive a necessary cosmological constraint necessitating the infinite spatial extent of the universe.