A distant cluster of galaxies is said to confirm
the existence of undetectable energy. Not a single reference
is made to the most powerful known force in the
cosmos: electricity.Astronomers working with the European Space Agency's
XMM Newton X-ray Telescope have discovered a grouping of galaxies in the
outer most reaches of the universe containing more than 1000 times the mass of
our own Milky Way. The image above is said to reflect the appearance of the
cluster as it was during a relatively early epoch in the evolution of the
universe.
Because the speed of light is used as a benchmark for defining cosmological
distance calculations, the shifting of Fraunhofer lines into the red end of
observed electromagnetic spectra determines "recessional velocity". As standard
theories dictate, the faster an object recedes from our observation platforms
the further away it is because the primordial Big Bang explosion imparted an
initial impulse that is causing the universe to expand. Using these theoretical
parameters, a faster recessional velocity means greater distance, which means an
earlier time period.
According to
Georg Lamar and his colleagues from the Astrophysikalisches Institut in
Potsdam, massive galaxy clusters with such high redshift are rare when they
shine so brightly at x-ray wavelengths. As the ESA press release states, the
presence of "hot gas" encompassing the cluster with temperatures of 100 million
Kelvin makes J083026+524133 the most energetic x-ray source at
z > = 1 redshift – 100 times brighter than any other galaxy cluster at that
distance.
Such a massive cluster with a 7.7 billion year age estimate is thought to
confirm the existence of dark energy because dark energy causes acceleration in
the expansion of the universe. That acceleration makes it more difficult for
massive clusters like J083026+524133 to hold together in more recent times
because the dark energy expansion wants to tear them apart.
Astronomers made this disconcerting find ten years ago – that the universe is
expanding faster today than it did in the past. In order to accommodate
anomalous redshift observations the existence of a force that exerts negative
pressure on gravitational fields was proposed and later called "dark energy"
because it cannot be detected with any instrument.
Enzo Brachini from the European Organization for Astronomical Research in the
Southern Hemisphere (ESO) wrote: "This implies that one of two very different
possibilities must hold true. Either the Universe is filled with a mysterious
dark energy which produces a repulsive force that fights the gravitational brake
from all the matter present in the Universe, or, our current theory of
gravitation is not correct and needs to be modified, for example by adding extra
dimensions to space."
Presumptions are difficult to overcome, particularly when they represent the
sine qua non of thought within a specific discipline. The inability of
conventional researchers to understand several factors hampers their ability to
grasp the fundamental nature of the cosmos. The quoted comments from a respected
scientist employed by ESO, as well as those from the XMM Newton team, are a
perfect example of the absurd conclusions that can be drawn when electrified
plasma in space is ignored.
Two of the most pressing issues in the modern approach to understanding the
universe are the adherence to redshift as the only tool for estimating distances
and ages of stars and galaxies, and a lack of knowledge when it comes to
electricity.
First, in order to advance the catalogue of knowledge it often requires one's
reputation and livelihood be placed on the block and the axe allowed to fall
where it may. It takes real courage to buck the system and stand on one's
convictions despite antagonism. Such is the case with Halton Arp, one of the
grand masters in the field of astronomical research.
Dr. Arp earned his place at the top of his field through years of research and
many lonely hours on cold mountain peaks documenting far-flung celestial
objects. As his
galactic compendium grew, he noticed that there was something wrong with
conventional time-speed-distance calculations – he found objects with higher
redshift values in front of objects with lower redshift. Surely, such a
conundrum should have immediately called into question the very nature of that
"cosmological constant".
If redshift is not an indicator of distance, J083026+524133 may not be so far
away and therefore not so massive or bright. As Arp and his colleagues have
repeatedly shown, taking in a wider field of view often reveals similar objects
on the opposite side of a nearby active galaxy. Many of these high-redshift
pairs are connected across the galaxy with a bridge of radiating material.
Theories of an expanding universe, dark matter, and dark energy depend on the
XMM Newton's (and other observatories) extremely narrow field of view and how
the data is selected.
The story of Halton Arp's experiences with the scientific community has been
documented many times in these pages. Suffice to say, a respectful and
open-minded reception from astronomers and astrophysicists was not to be the
result of
his discovery. Rather than accepting his observations, Dr. Arp's papers were
barred from publication and his telescope time was canceled. He was shunned by
colleagues and ignored by the community at large – one of the most shameful
chapters in a book filled with instances of shoddy treatment and blind
resentment.
Second, by referring to material with a temperature of 100 million Kelvin as
"hot gas" astrophysicists are highlighting their complete ignorance of plasma
and its behavior. No atom can remain intact at such temperatures – electrons are
stripped from the nuclei and powerful electrical fields develop. The gaseous
matter becomes plasma, capable of conducting electricity and forming double
layers.
In 1986, Hannes Alfvén, in a NASA-sponsored conference on double layers in
astrophysics, said:
"Double layers in space should be classified as a new type of celestial object
(one example is the double radio sources). It is tentatively suggested that
x-ray and gamma ray bursts may be due to exploding double layers. In solar
flares, [double layers] with voltages of 10^9 volts or even more may occur, and
in galactic phenomena, we may have voltages that are several orders of magnitude
larger."
Plasma is the first state of
matter and makes up more than 99.99% of all that we observe
in the universe. Cosmological redshift has been shown to be
a property of matter and not one of velocity. It is far past
time that scientists actually look at what they see
with critical eyes.
By Stephen Smith
