Using quasars as standard clocks for measuring cosmological redshift
De-Chang Dai1 , Glenn D. Starkman2 , Branislav Stojkovic3 , Dejan Stojkovic4 , Amanda Weltman1
1 Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravity Centre, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Private Bag, 7700, South Africa
2 CERCA/ISO/Department of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-7079
3 Department of Computer Science and Engineering, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260-1500 and
4 HEPCOS, Department of Physics, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260-1500
We report hitherto unnoticed patterns in quasar light curves. We characterize segments of quasars’
light curves with the slopes of the straight lines fit through them. These slopes appear to be directly
related to the quasars’ redshifts. Alternatively, using only global shifts in time and flux, we are able
to find significant overlaps between the light curves of different pairs of quasars by fitting the ratio of
their redshifts. We are then able to reliably determine the redshift of one quasar from another. This
implies that one can use quasars as standard clocks, as we explicitly demonstrate by constructing
two independent methods of finding the redshift of a quasar from its light curve.
FIG. 1: The sample of quasars with different redshifts. Time
is transformed to the quasar rest frame (i.e. divided by (z +
1)). A pattern emerges, some parallel lines (same slopes)
appear. We mark them with the thin black lines. A possible
shallower, long-term trend is indicated by thick green lines.
These techniques suggest that similar patterns shared by different quasars may allow them to be used as standard clocks (or candles) to quantify luminosity distance.
We performed our analysis for V-band light curves, though a similar procedure could be carried out for other wavelengths. We currently do not have a theoretical explanation of this effect. We would not want to speculate much on the possible explanation since the physics of these objects is poorly understood.
The pdf is here. http://tallbloke.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/quasarclocks.pdf
Less technically demanding article here http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2012/may/04/quasars-shine-a-new-light-on-cosmic-distances
I think this ArXiv preprint might turn out to be an important paper.
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2012/may/04/quasars-shine-a-new-light-on-cosmic-distances
I’m keeping an eye on the redshift mystery and other discoveries relating to grc 7603. And this blog is of great help. Technical, yes, but not overwhelming. Thanks for these articles.
Shouldn’t that be ‘ngc 7603′?
http://quasars.org/ngc7603.htm
Quote: “The point is that any scientific claim must be falsifiable. To hold that redshift is an absolute indicator of distance must be to allow standards of evidence which will overturn that position. NGC 7603 is evidence which meets that standard, and if it is not sufficient to overturn the standard model all on its own, it is strong enough to require addressing by the proponents of the standard model.”
I am starting to think that science needs a new approach to understand the red shift. It may have absolutely no bearing on speed or distance, and perhaps it is just the light being diffused through billions of miles of dust and gases, that are variable in pockets and clumps.
Once upon a time we used real geometry, we have the technology to launch and maintain telescopes, spread them wide enough and we can tell distance.
This would then tell us what the red shift is saying or not. Pretending or guesstulating is not science. If all else fails measure it.
The amount of money that has been wasted on climate crap could have put a hundred telescopes in space #$@ΩΩ%
Wayne Job says:
May 11, 2012 at 1:48 pm
I am starting to think that science needs a new approach to understand the red shift. It may have absolutely no bearing on speed or distance, and perhaps it is just the light being diffused through billions of miles of dust and gases, that are variable in pockets and clumps.
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It’s the discrete absorption spectrum of the atoms in the stars which is being Doppler shifted to the red (longer wavelength if moving away) or to the blue (shorter wavelength if coming at you.)
See http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/spectra.html
“Unbroken starlight allows us to admire a star’s external characteristics; its spectrum allows us to look into its very soul.”
In NGC 760, I believe there are 4 bright objects (2 of them are galaxies one small and one large, and 2 of them are quasars – the 2 quasars are in the region connecting the 2 galaxies) all with widely varying redshifts.