Abstract

A review of the literature on the Lyman alpha forest gives direct evidence on the dynamics of the un-iverse. In an expanding universe one would expect the average temperature of the universe to fall as it expands - but a review of the Doppler parameters of the Hydrogen clouds in Quasar spectra shows that contrary to this, they are increasing in temperature (or at least, becoming increasingly disturbed) as the universe ages. Additionally, the evidence is that Hydrogen clouds are, on average, evenly spaced up to a redshift of one - if not beyond. These results beg the question, how is it that the Hydrogen clouds can have differing redshifts whilst, on average, remain equally spaced? Especially since this range of redshifts includes the supernovae data used to show ?acceleration' and so called ?time dilation.' Taking these results in isolation implies that the universe has been static for at least the last billion years or so and therefore a new model of redshift is needed to explain redshifts in a static universe.

The model proposed here is that in a static universe, photons of light from distant galaxies are absorbed and reemitted by electrons in the plasma of intergalactic space and on each interaction the electron recoils. Energy is lost to the recoiling electron (New Tired Light theory) and thus the reemitted photon has less energy, a reduced frequency and therefore an increased wavelength. It has been redshifted. The Hubble relationship becomes ?photons of light from a galaxy twice as far away, make twice as many interactions with the electrons in the plasma of IG space, lose twice as much energy and undergo twice the redshift. A relationship between redshift and distance is found and, using published values of collision cross-sections and number density of electrons in IG space, a value for the Hubble constant is derived which is in good agreement with measured values. Assuming that the energy transferred to the recoiling electron is emitted as secondary radiation; the wavelength is calculated and found to be consistent with the wavelengths of the CMB. A test of this theory in the laboratory is proposed whereby a high powered laser could be fired through sparse cold plasma and the theories predicted increase in emission of microwave radiation of a particular frequency determined.