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From: lew@ihuxr.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: creationist redshift evaluated
Message-ID: <730@ihuxr.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Oct-83 18:55:37 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxr.730
Posted: Wed Oct 26 18:55:37 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Oct-83 08:06:05 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, Il
Lines: 37

Tom Portegys was wondering about the relation of the red shift to
the decrease in "c" over time proposed by some creationists. I think
the rational is as follows. We assume a constant frequency emitter
whose emitted wave length is:

	lambda(t) = c(t)/nu

If this wavelength remains constant in transit, and the wave train
slows down with time, an observer will see the wavelength a the time
of emission and a lower frequency. Imagine dropping markers onto
a conveyor belt which is slowing down.

This model can be evaluted quantitatively, with rather spectacular
results. The proposed value of c(t) was:

	c(t) = C * sec( pi/2 * t/T )^2 ; T ~= 6000yrs

Here, 't' measures backward in time from the present (easier math).
We just happen to live at t=0, so that c(t) is near C
and constant for the time being. Anyway, by integrating back in time
we can get the time of emission for objects at a distance 's':

	t(s) = (2/pi) * T * atan( pi/2 * s/(C*T) )

Since sec( atan(x) )^2 = 1+x^2, we get for a red shift as a function
of distance:

	lambda(s) = lambda(0) * ( 1 + (pi/2 * s/(C*T) )^2 )

This means that objects only 4000 light years away would have red shifts
of 2. The Andromeda nebula, at 2 million light years (too close, in reality
for any observable red shift) would be shifted by a factor of a trillion.

The basic lesson here is that you can't squeeze the universe into a pea
and get away with it.

	Lew Mammel, Jr. ihuxr!lew