Overview
The mathematics behind Heim's theory requires extending spacetime with extra dimensions; various formulations by Heim and his successors involve six, eight, or twelve dimensions. Within the quantum spacetime of Heim theory, elementary particles are represented as "hermetry forms" or multidimensional structures of space. Heim has claimed that his theory yields particle masses directly from fundamental physical constants and that the resulting masses are in agreement with experiment. This claim was disputed by physicist John Reed in 2006, who subsequently changed his mind with further research and now thinks there is something to Heim's theory. In the Physics Forum, Sept. 4 2007, Reed wrote, "I'm more convinced now that there is really something to his theory. I don't understand much of the math yet. It's very complicated and different from anything I'm familiar with. I have a Ph.D. in physics so I know something about physics."
For Heim, this composite nature was an expression of internal, six-dimensional structure. After his death, others have continued with his multi-dimensional "quantum hyperspace" framework. Most notable are the theoretical generalizations put forth by Walter Dröscher, who worked in collaboration with Heim at some length. Their combined theories are also known as "Heim-Dröscher" theories or Extended Heim theory.
There are some differences between the original "Heim Theory" and the extended versions proposed by his successors. For example, in its original version Heim theory has six dimensions, i.e., the 4 of normal space-time with two extra timelike dimensions. Dröscher first extended this to eight and claimed that this yields quantum electrodynamics along with the "particle zoo" of mesons and baryons. Later, four more dimensions were used to arrive at the twelve dimensional version, which involves extra gravitational forces; one of these corresponds to quintessence. Although it purports to unify quantum mechanics and gravitation, the original Heim theory cannot be considered a theory of everything because it does not incorporate all known experimental data. In particular, it gives predictions only for properties of individual particles, without making detailed predictions about how they interact. The theory also allows for particle states that don't exist in the Standard Model, including a neutral electron and two extra light neutrinos, and many other extra states. Presently, there is no known mechanism for the exclusion of these extra particles, nor an explanation for their non-observation. Although it is claimed that Heim theory can incorporate the modern structure of particle physics, the available results predict the masses for composite hadrons rather than quarks and do not include gluons or the W and Z bosons, which are experimentally very well established. In Heim theory, quarks are interpreted as 'condensation zones' of the six-dimensional internal structure of the particles, and the gluons are asserted to be associated with one of the "hermetry forms".
Read more about this topic: Heim Theory