Unifying Particle Physics by Further Generalising Relativity

A number of approaches to a theory of unification, with the aim of explaining the most elementary properties of matter observed in experiments, have been based upon a generalisation of 4-dimensional spacetime or relativity, perhaps most notably by appending extra dimensions of space. Here we motivate a new idea that takes 'time' as the basic entity rather than 'matter' or 'space', by proposing a generalisation beyond quadratic order for the local proper time interval in general relativity, and explain how this new theory is found to be rather better suited for directly addressing the goals of unification. The direct connections with properties of the Standard Model particle multiplet structure will be described, as well as the implications for new physics particularly in the Higgs and neutrino sectors. A novel means of amalgamating the quantum properties of particle states with general relativity, that is an approach to the 'quantum gravity' question, will then be outlined. Finally, candidates identified for both dark matter and dark energy, and their significance for cosmological observations, will be briefly summarised. The simple nature of the initial motivation for this new theory of generalised proper time, combined with the direct connections with all major areas of interest for unification, make a strong overall case for this 'time-based' approach, while significant theoretical and experimental opportunities remain for further development.