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Electrodynamics is the most tested fundamental physical theory. Relativity arose from the completion of Maxwell–Lorentz electrodynamics. Introducing the metric $g_{ij}$ as gravitational potential in 1913, versed in general (coordinate-)covariant formalism in 1914 and shortly after the completion of general relativity, Einstein put the Maxwell equations in general covariant form with only the constitutive relation between the excitation and the field dependent on and connected by the metric in 1916. Further clarification and developments by Weyl in 1918, Murnaghan in 1921, Kottler in 1922 and Cartan in 1923 together with the corresponding developments in electrodynamics of continuous media by Bateman in 1910, Tamm in 1924, Laue in 1952 and Post in 1962 established the premetric formalism of electrodynamics. Since almost all phenomena electrodynamics deal with have energy scales much lower than the Higgs mass energy and intermediate boson energy, electrodynamics of continuous media should be applicable and the constitutive relation of spacetime/vacuum should be local and linear. What is the key characteristic of the spacetime/vacuum? It is the Weak Equivalence Principle I (WEP I) for photons/wave packets of light which states that the spacetime trajectory of light in a gravitational field depends only on its initial position and direction of propagation, and does not depend on its frequency (energy) and polarization, i.e. nonbirefringence of light propagation in spacetime/vacuum. With this principle it is proved by the author in 1981 in the weak field limit, and by Lammerzahl and Hehl in 2004 together with Favaro and Bergamin in 2011 without assuming the weak-field condition that the constitutive tensor must be of the core metric form with only two additional degrees of freedom — the pseudoscalar (Abelian axion or EM axion) degree of freedom and the scalar (dilaton) degree of freedom (i.e. metric with axion and dilaton). In this paper, we review this connection and the ultrahigh precision empirical tests of nonbirefringence together with present status of tests of cosmic Abelian axion and dilaton. If the stronger version of WEP is assumed, i.e. WEP II for photons (wave packets of light) which states in addition to WEP I also that the polarization state of the light would not change (e.g. no polarization rotation for linear polarized light) and no amplification/attenuation of light, then no Abelian (EM) axion and no dilaton, and we have a pure metric theory.

After reviewing the meaning of various equivalence principles and the structure of electrodynamics, we give a fairly detailed account of the construction of the light cone and a core metric from the equivalence principle for photons (no birefringence, no polarization rotation and no amplification/attenuation in propagation) in the framework of linear electrodynamics using cosmic connections/observations as empirical support. The cosmic nonbirefringent propagation of photons independent of energy and polarization verifies the Galileo Equivalence Principle (Universality of Propagation) for photons/electromagnetic wave packets in spacetime. This nonbirefringence constrains the spacetime constitutive tensor to high precision to a core metric form with an axion degree and a dilaton degree of freedom. Thus comes the metric with axion and dilation. Constraints on axion and dilaton from astrophysical/cosmic propagation are reviewed. Eötvös-type experiments, Hughes–Drever-type experiments, redshift experiments then constrain and tie this core metric to agree with the matter metric, and hence a unique physical metric and universality of metrology. We summarize these experiments and review how the Galileo equivalence principle constrains the Einstein Equivalence Principle (EEP) theoretically. In local physics this physical metric gives the Lorentz/Poincaré covariance. Understanding that the metric and EEP come from the vacuum as a medium of electrodynamics in the linear regime, efforts to actively look for potential effects beyond this linear scheme are warranted. We emphasize the importance of doing Eötvös-type experiments or other type experiments using polarized bodies/polarized particles. We review the theoretical progress on the issue of gyrogravitational ratio for fundamental particles and update the experimental progress on the measurements of possible long range/intermediate range spin–spin, spin–monopole and spin–cosmos interactions.

In this paper, we studied how nonlinear vacuum electrodynamics can affect charged collapsar spacetime structure and properties of particles movement in this spacetime. Analysis of uncharged particle orbits stability shows that the main features of this orbit in Reissner–Nordström spacetime remains actual for Einstein–Born–Infeld theory. At the same time, there is a significant quantitative difference between stable orbits parameters in these theories and this fact may influence on accretion rate predictions for charged collapsar.

A nonmetric theory of gravity is presented, which agrees with all experiments to date. It possesses a Lagrangian-based nonmetric (i.e. nonminimum) coupling between electromagnetism and gravity which has complete continuous-coordinate-transformation symmetry but violates parity and time-reversal-invariance. The theory predicts the universality of free fall for test bodies, i.e. it obeys the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP). But due to the nonmetrical coupling between electromagnetism and gravity, it violates the Einstein Equivalence Principle (EEP). Hence, this theory disproves the conjecture due to Schiff which states that any gravitation theory that obeys the WEP must also, unavoidably, obey the EEP. Further examination of the empirical status implications of the EEP is therefore urged.

We would first show that how the two fundamental constants, the velocity of light, $c$, and the so called, cosmological constant, $\mathrm{\Lambda }$, arise from geometric characterization of forcefree state of spacetime. They are the two most fundamental constants as they have been synthesized in the structure of spacetime, no other constant can claim this degree of fundamentalness. Next when spacetime turns inhomogeneous, Einstein gravity arises most naturally from the spacetime geometry without any prescription from outside; i.e. the inverse square law is mandated by the geometry, and not a prescription. It would then suggest that dynamics of a fundamental force should not be prescribed but should perhaps be determined by the geometry of appropriate spacetime manifold.

Motivated by considerations of Euclidean quantum gravity, we investigate a central question of spectral geometry, namely the question of reconstructability of compact Riemannian manifolds from the spectra of their Laplace operators. To this end, we study analytic paths of metrics that induce isospectral Laplace–Beltrami operators over oriented compact surfaces without boundary. Applying perturbation theory, we show that sets of conformally equivalent metrics on such surfaces contain no nontrivial convex subsets. This indicates that cases where the manifolds cannot be reconstructed from their spectra are highly constrained.

Searches for the role of spin in gravitation dated before the firm establishment of the electron spin in 1925. Since mass and spin, or helicity in the case of zero mass, are the Casimir invariants of the Poincaré group and mass participates in universal gravitation, these searches are natural steps to pursue. In this update, we report on the progress on this topic in the last five years after our last review. We begin with how is Lorentz/Poincaré group in local physics arisen from spacetime structure as seen by photon and matter through experiments/observations. The cosmic verification of the Galileo Equivalence Principle for photons/electromagnetic wave packets (Universality of Propagation in spacetime independent of photon energy and polarization, i.e. nonbirefringence) constrains the spacetime constitutive tensor to high precision to a core metric form with an axion degree and a dilaton degree of freedom. Hughes-Drever-type experiments then constrain this core metric to agree with the matter metric. Thus comes the metric with axion and dilation. In local physics this metric gives the Lorentz/Poincaré covariance. Constraints on axion and dilaton from polarized/unpolarized laboratory/astrophysical/cosmic experiments/observations are presented. In the end, we review the theoretical progress on the issue of gyrogravitational ratio for fundamental particles and the experimental progress on the measurements of possible long range/intermediate range spin-spin, spin-monopole and spin-cosmos interactions.

After reviewing the meaning of various equivalence principles and the structure of electrodynamics, we give a fairly detailed account of the construction of the light cone and a core metric from the equivalence principle for photons (no birefringence, no polarization rotation and no amplification/attenuation in propagation) in the framework of linear electrodynamics using cosmic connections/observations as empirical support. The cosmic nonbirefringent propagation of photons independent of energy and polarization verifies the Galileo Equivalence Principle (Universality of Propagation) for photons/ electromagnetic wave packets in spacetime. This nonbirefringence constrains the spacetime constitutive tensor to high precision to a core metric form with an Abelian axion degree and a dilaton degree of freedom. Thus comes the metric with axion and dilation. Constraints on axion and dilaton from astrophysical/cosmic propagation are reviewed. Eötvös-type experiments, Hughes–Drever-type experiments, redshift experiments then constrain and tie this core metric to agree with the matter metric, and hence a unique physical metric and universality of metrology. We summarize these experiments and review how the Galileo equivalence principle constrains the Einstein Equivalence Principle (EEP) theoretically. In local physics this physical metric gives the Lorentz/Poincaré covariance. Understanding that the metric and EEP come from the vacuum as a medium of electrodynamics in the linear regime, efforts to actively look for potential effects beyond this linear scheme are warranted. We emphasize the importance of doing Eötvös-type experiments or other type experiments using polarized bodies/polarized particles. We review the theoretical progress on the issue of gyrogravitational ratio for fundamental particles and update the experimental progress on the measurements of possible long range/intermediate range spin–spin, spin–monopole and spin–cosmos interactions.