Redshift and Energy Conservation

TL;DR

This paper argues that cosmological redshift can be interpreted as a Doppler effect, demonstrating energy conservation and providing an alternative perspective to the standard model, with implications for understanding quasar redshifts.

Contribution

It shows that the cosmological redshift can be explained as a Doppler effect with energy conservation, challenging the traditional view of space expansion as the sole cause.

Findings

Doppler interpretation reasonably fits supernova data

Energy conservation is maintained in the Doppler model

Additional recession factor affects gravitationally powered objects

Abstract

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 apparent distance - redshift relation derived from a Doppler interpretation is reasonably consistent with supernova data (though not as good as the standard model with dark energy). The normal Doppler effect is examined in detail and shown to conserve energy as expected. Because of the equivalence between the general relativistic space expansion paradigm and the Doppler effect (as demonstrated) the long-standing problem of energy loss associated with the expansion of the Universe is treated in a similar manner to the normal well-behaved Doppler effect. The mechanism by which energy is conserved with the normal Doppler shift is applied to the cosmological redshift and the energy violation disappears. However, an additional luminosity-dependent recession factor is introduced. The effect on astronomical objects is examined and it is found to add only a small additional redshift to a body generating power by nuclear means but can be very large for objects powered by gravity. A possible connection to the claimed anomalous redshift of quasars is considered.