Illusion of Space Expansion

THE ILLUSION OF SPACE EXPANSION
James Constant
grav@coolissues.com

An Alternative Theory of The Universe as a Finite Sphere Based on Actual
Observations of Galactic Redshifts And The Microwave Background

Hubble discovered the linear relation between redshift and distance of galaxies which he prematurely attributed to the receding speed of galaxies cv=Hr (velocity v proportional to distance r). Some cosmologists later theorized that the receding speed of galaxies indicates that space expands by itself. However, there is no evidence that the redshift of galaxies relates to their recession speed. All we know is that Hubble's linear redshift law

Dm=m_o-m r[21.1 bly (1)

in which v_o=frequency of radiation sent by a galaxy, v=frequency of radiation received on Earth, z=dimensionless number, H=Hubble's constant, c=velocity of light, and r=distance to galaxy has been confirmed by observations to a distance of about 3.96 bly, the high end of Hubble's linear law. From equation (1), solving for frequency

r[21.1 bly (2)

Equation (2) is a remarkable result because it says if one assumes that Hubble's linear law equation (1) applies at all distances beyond 3.96 bly (z=0.228), the high end of Hubble's linear law, then one must necessarily conclude that the universe is a finite one with a radius of D_c=21.1 bly obtained when v=0.

Beyond 3.96 bly observations are few and show no significant departures from linearity that would allow us to associate galactic redshift to their recession speed. Recall that doppler redshift formula

(3)

in which v/c=galactic recession speed/speed of light, is a non linear relation between redshift and distance which remains to be proven by observations.

Because galaxies become dimmer at the farthest distances, cosmologists must look for galactic beacons to obtain distances. Currently, observational evidence for changes in the expansion beyond about 3.96 bly, the high end of Hubble's linear law, comes from distant supernovae, rarely occurring massive exploding stars that are used to obtain frequency shifts and distances. Supernovae spectral redshifts reveal their speed and their brightness reveals their distance. The farthest distance of an observed supernova is about 10 bly. Cosmologists now believe that the expansion was slowing down in the past than today and at some point began accelerating. The transition point between slowdown and speedup occurred about 5 bly ago.¹

Is the Universe static or does space expand? Doppler redshift equation (3) is valid in either type universe. It makes no difference whether a galactic relative motion is due to an explosion or due to space expansion or to a combination of both. Clearly, observation of a non linear galactic redshift cannot be due to a linear space expansion. It is for this reason that confirmation of the divergence of galactic photons destroys the assumption that space itself expands linearly. While a linear expansion of space is suggested by observations made within Hubble's linear span, recent observations beyond that span do not convincingly confirm the divergence of galactic photons equation (3) from the linearity of Hubble's law equation (1). Since we cannot have space expanding differently for galactic and extra galactic photons, I concede that, if non linearity is eventually confirmed, space would expand non linearly or as an explosion in static or expanding space, would account for the observations and destroy the assumption of a linear space expansion. However, I discount the idea of a non linear expansion of space on grounds it would destroy the observed microwave background. Simply put, a non linear expansion would destroy Planck's blackbody spectrum of the observed perfect microwave background

density energy r>3.96 bly (4)

in which v=frequency, c=speed of light, e=total energy, k=Boltzman's constant and T= temperature. Equation (4) relates density q_r to frequency v. Note that the maximum radiation frequency v and spectrum width remain perfect only if the expansion is linear. A linear expansion means that the universe has a finite radius D_c=21.1 bly.

Accordingly, what emerges from observations of galactic redshifts and the perfect microwave background spectrum is that the cosmos is a finite sphere of radius D_c=21.1 bly. The sphere contains the Galactic Universe at its center and extending between 3.96 bly, the high end of Hubble's linear law, and 10 bly, the farthest distance of an observed supernova. The Extra Galactic Universe begins at 3.96 bly and ends at 21.1 bly, the cosmic radius, and between 3.96 bly and 10 bly shares space with the Galactic Universe. The Extra Galactic Universe is a Planck blackbody spectrum at a single frequency and temperature. Galactic photons account for the observed redshift and extra galactic photons account for the observed microwave background.

The illusion of expanding space occurs because most cosmologists associate the observed redshift with the doppler speed of receding galaxies, an association which remains to be actually observed. Current observations fall far short of a substantial departure from linearity of equation (1) to confirm the association of the observed redshift with the recession speed of galaxies. After almost a century of its existence, the theory of space expansion remains to be confirmed. In the meantime, all we can say is that the universe does not expand and, what we see are redshifts which associate with the distance of galaxies and radiation in a cosmic sphere of radius D_c=21.1 bly.

The foregoing conclusions may change only if future observations confirm a substantial departure from linearity of galactic redshifts to thereby enable saying that the new observed redshifts actually associate with the recession doppler speed of galaxies.

¹ Craig J. Hogan, Robert P. Kirshner, Nicholas B. Suntzeff, Surveying Spacetime with Supernovae, Scientific American, January 1999; Adam G. Riess, Michael S. Turner, From Slowdown to Speedup, Scientific American, February 2004 pages 62-67. 2[2]

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