Thermodynamic Unification of Electromagnetism and Gravity via Vacuum Free-Energy Gradients

This paper proposes a thermodynamic framework for unifying electromagnetism and gravity by modeling the vacuum as a medium with electromagnetic susceptibilities, where gravity emerges from gradients in vacuum free energy. Starting froma Helmholtz-type energy density functional, we derive Maxwell’s equations using variational principles and introduce a gravitational term that arises naturally from the energy density gradient. The model predicts small but measurable deviations ingravitational fields near intense electromagnetic sources, and possible variations in the effective gravitational constant Gunder extreme field gradients. These predictions are falsifiable and offer explanations for certain gravitational anomalies with-out invoking dark matter or dark energy. Consistency with classical and quantum field theory is addressed, and experimental avenues for verification are outlined.