Evidence that the Universe is NOT Expanding at an Accelerating Rate

In the second book of my Alien Log series, one of the main characters, Dr. Corey Newton, is accidentally abducted. As it happens, Dr. Newton is an astrophysicist and has many questions for Quellin, his alien abductor. Quellin freely answers any questions that Dr. Newton has because he knows he can implant a memory block on Corey before he is released. The very first question that Corey has out-of-the-box is whether we're on the right track with our Big Bang theory. Quellin is unfamiliar with our Big Bang theory so Corey has to explain it to him. It should be noted that Quellin teaches in a Socratic method whereby he answers a question with another question in order to get Corey to reason out the answer for himself.

Corey explains how as our technology improved we were able to determine that galactic clusters are moving away from our galaxy. This, he explained, was evidenced by the red shift in the light that we received from these clusters. Quellin accepted this. Corey explained that through logic, by running the clock backward, so to speak, it appeared as though our universe began as a singularity in which all energy (matter) was contained. Corey explained that our research indicates that the universe began from this singularity about 13.7 billion years ago and has been expanding ever since. Quellin found that explanation interesting but ask Corey if he was comfortable with everything coming from a singularity. Corey answered that he was uncomfortable with that and in fact many cosmologists are also uncomfortable with that model of the universe. However, the Big Bang theory is the prevalent theory.

Corey then went on to explain that by 1998 cosmologists had found a yardstick by which they could measure distances to remote galactic clusters. Using a particular kind of exploding star known as a Type 1A supernova as a yardstick, they have discovered that there is greater red shift for objects further away. This indicates that objects further from us are traveling at a higher velocity than those near to us. Not only is the universe expanding, but the rate of expansion is increasing. In order to account for this acceleration, it became necessary to begin looking for the energy that would drive the acceleration. Our cosmologists have labeled this energy dark energy. Quellin was now becoming concerned with this explanation and asked Corey some probing questions. For instance, he asked Corey what evidence there was that the universe is accelerating. Corey explained that increased red shift at greater distances implied acceleration. Quellin was perplexed by this answer as he expected Corey to cite some time rate of change in velocity of clusters. Quellin used a metaphor to explain his concern. Quellin asked Corey to imagine he was standing on a corner with a handheld velocity measuring device similar to our radar gun. A truck passes by carrying potatoes and as it drives past and down the road, potatoes are falling off the back of the truck. Quellin explains that if Corey were to measure the velocity of the potatoes at different distances from him, he would find that the potatoes farthest away which have just fallen off of the truck would have the velocity of the truck while those closer would have lower velocities because they are tumbling on the road and converting linear momentum into angular momentum. Quellin asked Corey how he thought someone might interpret the data he would collect which shows that the more distant objects are traveling faster than the closer objects. Corey agreed that without understanding the situation, someone might come to the conclusion that the further away an object is the higher its velocity because it is accelerating.

The discussion that took place in my second book points out that unless we have data that shows a time rate of change in velocity of the galactic clusters we cannot say that the clusters are accelerating away from us. To claim that these clusters are either accelerating or decelerating requires that we measure the red shift over an extended period of time for each cluster. Our present red shift data is only reported to a resolution of four decimal places and was collected and reported back in 1959 by Abell, Corwin, and Olowin who cataloged all observable Galactic clusters, both north and south hemispheres. They used the Palomar All Sky Survey (PASS) which was the initial/first priority study for the then new huge Palomar telescope. The ACO survey team produced a listing of 4076 galactic clusters along with cluster vitals, most importantly red shifts.

Over the next 40 years there appeared to be no change in red shift data. Whatever velocity changes were occurring were below that which could be detected with only four decimal place resolution. However, during the period of 2003 to 2009, data was collected using the Spitzer Space Telescope. Because this telescope was positioned in space and was cryogenically cooled, it had the capability of measuring red shift data to a resolution of six decimal places. Some of the data that was collected was for some of the same galactic clusters that had been measured in 1959. We have compared this new Spitzer data with the older ACO data and have been able to detect velocity changes for individual clusters over a 50 year span of time. While some clusters appeared to increase in velocity others decrease in velocity. Between the values of Z equals 0.1 and Z equals 0.35, the trend line had a negative slope and showed deceleration. These values encompassed the only values we had for Spitzer data. This data suggests that on the whole, the galactic clusters are decelerating. This result fits with expected results from a revised model of the universe which will be explained in a later blog.

The late Charles Hoy Fort (1874 – 1932) was a famous American writer and researcher who had the view that “alternative conclusions and world views can be made from the same data from which"orthodox" conclusions are made, and that the conventional explanations of science are only one of a range of explanations, none necessarily more justified than another.” One of Fort's great contributions is questioning the often frequent dogmatism of mainstream science.