The aim is to test whether the cosmological redshift is due to the distance of the light source or due to the age of the light. If it were an age-dependent effect, the cosmological assumption of an expanding universe would have to be reconsidered.
Background
In 1929, Edwin Hubble discovered that the spectral lines of distant galaxies are shifted towards the red spectral range compared to the same spectral lines that we know from the sun. The further away the galaxies are from us, the stronger this red shift is.
This cosmological redshift was originally explained by the well-known Doppler effect: When a source of electromagnetic or acoustic waves moves away from the detector, the wavelength measured by the detector increases, whereas the wavelength shrinks when the source moves towards the detector. Accordingly, Hubble related his discovery to a movement of the distant galaxies. This gave rise to the idea that all cosmic objects are moving away from each other like pieces of an exploding bomb. Cosmologists calculated that the whole universe was once concentrated in a tiny spot which exploded about 14 billion years ago. From this Big Bang on, the universe expanded form a tiny spot to today's size.
In recent decades, astronomical observation equipment has improved enormously, leading to the discovery of distant cosmic objects whose redshift was so extreme that their calculated velocity approached the speed of light. Such a great velocity seemed implausible. Thus, the cosmological redshift was no longer explained by the Doppler effect, but rather by an expansion of space. According to this idea, the space between the galaxies is expanding, moving them further and further away from each other like the sultanas in a rising yeast cake, while the galaxies themselves are not expanding. The driving force behind this expansion of space is thought to be an ominous dark energy that is believed to fill the universe.
The expansion of the universe attributed to an unknown dark energy is a typical ad hoc assumption that should be treated with caution and not be regarded as an unquestionable fact. Perhaps the cosmic redshift has nothing to do with the distance between us and the source, but with the age of the observed light. However, this question cannot be answered based on the light from distant cosmic objects, as a greater distance is automatically associated with a greater age of the light.
The hypothesis that the cosmological redshift might be due to the age of the observed light is supported by our investigations about the origin of the flow of time. Our thought experiment on a modified version of the twin paradox led us to the conclusion that the transition from one present P1 to a later present P2 alters the value S = E * t for all physical objects by the same factor. Given that no time passes for photons, the value S can only change by modifying their energy. Consequently, light would then exhibit a shift in wavelenght that is dependent on its age.
Research Challenge
To test the hypothesis, one could set up an experiment as shown in the figure below: Monochromatic light is confined between two perfect mirrors. The wavelength of the light is determined at the beginning of the experiment and after a certain time. If our hypothesis holds, the wavelength should decrease over time.
Such an experiment would require a source of well-defined monochromatic light and absolutely perfect mirrors. In order to minimize loss of light intensity, a long distance between mirrors and no atmosphere to interfere with the transmission of light would be preferable. These requirements are surely challenging. But with todays technology, such an experiment seems not completely out of reach.
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