Matter without mass: do we really need the concept of mass?

Abstract

Einstein's most famous equation -- $E=mc^2$ -- generated a short-circuit between the concepts of mass and energy, which also affects other concepts like matter, radiation, and vacuum. Physics currently has a mixture of classical, relativistic, and quantum concepts of mass, which generates a great deal of confusion and many problems. Clear definitions need to be established if one wants to avoid ghost hunting. In particular, by abandoning the idea of mass and focusing on time and energy, some interesting implications are emerging. It is noted that the cutoff frequency of the quantum vacuum energy, consistent with the observations of the cosmological constant, corresponds to that of the Cosmic Microwave Background. This might be consistent with the hypothesis of a rotating and expanding universe described by a Kerr-de Sitter metric with the observed cosmological constant. To verify this hypothesis is crucial to prove the rotation of the universe.