Related papers: International Workshop on Redshift Mechanisms in A…
Light rays received on earth from distant stars show redshift, being attributed conventionally to the well-known Doppler-effect of wave dynamics. The present study concludes that cosmic redshift rather is an effect of the quantum mechanical…
The first and most compelling evidence of the universe's expansion was, and continues to be, the observed redshift of spectra from distant objects. This paper plays "devil's advocate" by providing an alternative explanation with elementary…
Redshift surveys are one of the prime tools of observational cosmology. Imaging surveys of the whole sky are now available at a wide range of wavelengths, and provide a basis for the new generation of massive redshift surveys currently in…
We summarize recent results presented in the astrophysics session during a conference on ``Frontiers of Contemporary Physics''. We will discuss three main fields (High-Energy Astrophysics, Relativistic Astrophysics, and Cosmology), where…
This article looks at philosophical aspects and questions that modern astrophysical research gives rise to. Other than cosmology, astrophysics particularly deals with understanding phenomena and processes operating at "intermediate" cosmic…
I review the early history of photometric redshifts; specify a working definition that encompasses a broader range of approaches than commonly adopted; discuss the pros and cons of template fitting versus empirically-based techniques; and…
I will review some results of observational cosmology which critically cast doubt upon the foundations of the standard cosmology: 1) The redshifts of the galaxies are due to the expansion of the Universe; 2) The cosmic microwave background…
It has always been considered a serious error to treat the cosmological redshift as a Doppler velocity effect rather than the result of space expansion. It is demonstrated here that in practical terms this is not the case, and that the…
A common belief about big-bang cosmology is that the cosmological redshift cannot be properly viewed as a Doppler shift (that is, as evidence for a recession velocity), but must be viewed in terms of the stretching of space. We argue that,…
The large observed redshift of quasars has suggested large cosmological distances and a corresponding enormous energy output to explain the brightness or luminosity as seen at earth. Alternative or complementary sources of redshift have not…
I review some theoretical ideas in cosmology different from the standard "Big Bang": the quasi-steady state model, the plasma cosmology model, non-cosmological redshifts, alternatives to non-baryonic dark matter and/or dark energy, and…
This article is the written version of the closing talk presented at the conference `A Century of Cosmology' held at San Servolo, Italy, in August 2007. I focus on the prospects of constraining fundamental physics from cosmological…
The past few years have seen dramatic breakthroughs and spectacular and puzzling discoveries in astrophysics and cosmology. In many cases, the new observations can only be explained with the introduction of new fundamental physics. Here we…
An emerging theme in modern astrophysics is the connection between astronomical observations and the underlying physical phenomena that drive our cosmos. Both the mechanisms responsible for the observed astrophysical phenomena and the tools…
This paper gives a compilation of physical mechanisms which have been proposed to explain the spectral red-shift of distant astronomical objects. Over sixty selected mechanisms are listed for the purpose of quantitative comparisons. Some of…
From the first observations made by Slipher, our understanding and interpretation of the cosmological redshift was evolving until reaching the current consensus, through the expanding universe and the emergence of modern physical cosmology…
The meaning of the expansion of the universe, or the `expansion of space,' is explored using two phenomena: the motion of a test particle against a homogeneous background and the cosmological redshift. Contrary to some expectations, a…
The variation of the expansion rate of the Universe with time produces an evolution in the cosmological redshift of distant sources (for example quasar Lyman-$\alpha$ absorption lines), that might be directly observed by future ultra…
The dramatic confrontation between new observations and theories of the early and recent universe makes cosmology one of the most rapidly advancing fields in the physical sciences. The universe is a unique laboratory in which to probe…
Harrison's argument against the interpretation of the cosmological redshift as a Doppler effect is revisited, exaggerated, and discussed. The context, purpose, and limitations of the interpretations of this phenomenon are clarified.