Reference: RT135
Date: 26-April-1995
Author: Ray Tomes
Email: rtomes@kcbbs.gen.nz

Because more distant galaxies have the same spectral lines at longer
wavelengths it is assumed that light is red shifting with distance and
time.  The normal explanation is that space is expanding which is 
equivalent to the galaxies rushing apart.  An alternative explanation
is that light gets tired, loses energy and so redshifts.  These 
explanations are unsatisfying as they do not allow the distances
between waves to remain constant, which to me they must be.  It
defies description to have the number of wavelengths of light in some
part of space actually change.

There is another possibility and that is that light once in motion 
does not change its wavelength at all.  Instead all atomic frequencies
are gradually getting higher in each individual galaxy.  This is not a
continuous process, but rather happens in discrete jumps from time to 
time.  The discrete jumps come in many sizes, and correspond to the 
observed quanta found in redshifts by W G Tifft [1] [2], H Arp [3] 
and others. The details of these discrete energy levels is very 
similar to the fine structure and superfine structure of wavelengths 
observed in the laboratory.  By this it is meant that several small 
steps of energy change may occur, but then a large jump must happen.  
Around each major energy level are multiple minor levels.  Around 
each of these are still more even more minor levels and so on.

This hypothesis combines three aspects of redshift behaviour into 
only one, and removes a number of counterintuitive aspects.

1. The observed strong redshift with distance relationship is really
a blue shift with time relationship.  The further away galaxies are 
seen as they were longer ago.

2. The observed internal redshift differences as reported by H Arp [3]
are due to individual galaxies jumping from one energy level to the
next at different times.  This is due to differences in the local
energy concentration of space.  More will be said about this.

3. The observed small blue shift jumps reported by W G Tifft [2] are
actual real internal frequency changes of the galaxies.

4. Redshifts do not need to add vectorially as they would if they
represented space expansion.  It is clear from observations that
either redshifts do not add vectorially or we are in a special place 
in the universe.  This has previously left us in a major dilemma.

5. Our motion relative to the CMBR does add vectorially, and so must 
be removed from the observed redshifts in the manner already used
by W G Tifft [2].  The adjusted redshifts then give the actual frequencies
emitted by the galaxies at the time in the past when that light or
radio wave started its journey.

6. The observed quantisation of redshifts by W G Tifft [1] [2]
can have quantised redshifts in all directions in the sky without
meaning that galaxy distances must be quantised in all directions 
in the sky.  The author believes that there is considerable 
quantisation of distances still but the requirement is less stringent 
and not necessary to explain the observations.

7. The number of wavelengths of light in a given amount of space
is now constant for any photon and so meaningful to us in terms
of intuition and comprehension of waves.

The above explanation removes all the mysterious elements from the
redshift behaviour and replaces them by just one question:
"Why do the frequencies of all atomic phenomena increase with time?"

The author believes that he has the answer to this question, but
the purpose of this short paper is simply to show that there is a
perspective that considerably simplifies the observed patterns
and removes the paradoxical elements entirely.

References:

[1] W G Tifft, AstroPhys J 221: 756-775, 1978 May 1

[2] W G Tifft, AstroPhys J 382: 396-415, 1991 Dec 1
               "Properties of the Redshift. III Temporal Variation"

[3] H Arp "Quasars, Redshifts and Controversies" Interstellar Media.