On the Concept of Constant Photosensitive Speed of Light

© 2013 Federico Talens-Alesson.

PREFACE.

This post differs somewhat from the previous ones on the subject, but to my surprise it is not as different as I would expect. So, instead of erase the previous one about variable speed of light, which included the notion of a detectable speed of light (although I had forgotten that) I will leave it as a previous take on the idea.

INTRODUCTION.

The speed of light is regarded as constant. As a consequence, it is assumed that when the gravity of stellar bodies warps light trajectories, it does so because the space has a structure and this is warped by gravity. Similarly, some masses with large gravitational fields have been found, which have been regarded to be “black holes”: massive stars where space is bent so strongly that light cannot leave.

Light arrives at such constant speed, irrespective of the direction. This is peculiar, because if the speed of light is constant, then the combination of its speed and the speed of the Earth should give variable aggregate velocities of impact of light on sensors. Which it does not.

The fact that light coming from different stars may show spectral shifts is explained away assuming there is a continuity in the wave, moving along with the originating star and causing some form of wave compression due to the change of distance between the origin and the target.

One problem with this is that the wave would not be aligned to the original position of the star: by now it should have realigned to match the present location of the star at the time of impact of the photon against the sensor. Astrophysicist do not pretend that the positions of the stars we see are their present ones, therefore there is something wrong with this idea of the wave displacement.

Another problem is that the distance the star as moved towards or away from Earth is actually very small compared with the distance between the star and Earth. Does it make sense to believe that the shift could be observed.

I am going to propose an alternative explanation to the constancy of the speed of light and the spectral shifts in stellar bodies.

TRANSPARENCY, OPACITY AND PHOTOSENSITIVITY.

The proposition is simple: only light in a given speed, roughly 300,000 km/s ±5 km/s (error assumed on the basis that some false alarm on neutrinos faster than the speed of light was later dismissed as being within experimental error), where the measure error may overlap and mask the existence of a range of speeds instead of a unique speed, can affect electrons in materials in such a way as to cause some “sensor” effect. Other speeds would find the materials either opaque or transparent. There may be heat effects there, but in neither case the incoming photons will be able to make a photosensitive impression. The reasoning is linked to basic structure of matter, and to heating during friction and impact between objects.

We accept that the matter of an atom is essentially an emptiness defined by an electromagnetic phenomenon (the atom) which excludes other atoms from its domain, and which defines its relative position with respect to adjacent atoms by means of inter atomic interactions. This positional correlation defines the structure of the matter, and for the purpose of this discussion, of the solid matter. It follows that the atoms at the surface of a body of solid material in a vacuum also create an exclusion zone, even though this one is not “in use” because there is no adjacent matter outside the body. This means that, if another body of solid matter is placed in “contact” with the first, it is not so in the way that we perceive visually: their contact is reaching the distance at which their mutual exclusions prevent them from getting closer. This does not mean that the atoms physically touch, but that they keep each other at arms length.

Then why is heat generated by friction or impact between solid objects? It must generate (both objects experience it, therefore it cannot be transferred) from the fact that their electromagnetic “entities” interact as they approach. Their electromagnetic fields must influence each other and cause the atoms to vibrate (thus gaining energy). This happens whether the atoms collide head on, or whether they slide alongside. The lower the relative speed at which the electromagnetic fields approach, the lower the interaction and the heat. Less condensed phases (lubricants) interposed between then reduce the braking and high generation of heat between the surfaces. Although still this takes place, the fact that the lubricant experiences shear and thus its relative velocity to the surface (and that of its component atoms) is lower and has also a lower atom density causes the interaction to be weaker and the heat generation to be less.

If we accept therefore that the approach of the electromagnetic manifestations of the atoms causes the heat, and therefore that approaching electromagnetic manifestations will interact with each other, we can make the following proposition.

An approaching photon (or other relativistic particle) may, as it comes close enough to condensed matter, begin to interact as an electromagnetic manifestation with the matter's electromagnetic matrix. This interaction may result in two easily recognized optic results: transparency and opacity. We know that ordinary glass rebounds UV radiation, although visible light will go through. We know that a brick wall will stop most photon based radiations. However, let us assume that photosensitive behaviour is not a particular property of some opaque materials, but the property of a third group of materials which are neither opaque or transparent. While opaque materials will rebound a given photon, and transparent materials will let it squeeze through its electromagnetic matrix without significant influence over its electronic structure (a particular case being light polarisation), a photosensitive material will allow the photon to come close to the electronic structure of its constituent atoms for electronic changes to take place.

The proposition in this paper is that a relative speed of light in the rough range 300,000 km/s ± 5 km/s is required for photonic impacts leading to electronic alterations. Only those can cause photonic detection and, therefore, only such speeds of light can be perceived.

CONCLUSIONS.

The implications are straightforward: when photons swing as the go past the Sun due to its gravitational field, we still see then as incoming at 300,000 km/s because only those at such speed (or range of speeds) can be detected. No need for a curvature of space to preserve the constancy of the speed of light.

Spectral shift shall a consequence of the aggregate photon+Earth speed. Astrophysicists claim we move at about 70,000 km/hr. This is about 20 km/s. Logically, if the speed of light was constant, then the detected velocity would not be, because Earth would be moving and direct collision courses would imply faster than the speed of light, and “chase” courses would mean slower than the speed of light. But if the detected speed of light is constant, then the photons striking from the various directions would have different velocities. As a consequence, only those fraction arriving at an aggregate speed of 300,000 km/s will be detected. Such fractions will be different if we are talking about (300,020 – 20) km/s or (299,980 + 20) km/s. That would be the origin of the spectral shift.

Different mass stars would slow down their light more if they are larger. A red star with lower mass will have red light predominating at 300,000 km/s because other lights would come to us to fast. A white star like our Sun will brake too much part of its red light, would would brake some of its blue light so that it is in the visible range. A blue giant would hold red/yellow light too much and blue would predominate at the 300,000 km/s speed. A black star, which would not be a hole or anything, simply would brake all its potential visible light too much and, as a consequence, none will be actually visible, being below the 300,000 km/s speed.

IMPLICATIONS

There would be no curvature of space, and therefore no wormholes or subspace. No SciFi travelling to distant galaxies.

We would have no information on the motion of stars and galaxies from their spectral shifts, and would have no idea where they are now.

The stars being different colors because of gravity implies there is no reason they are on different nuclear reaction cycles: they could be in the same more or less "eternal" cycle of fission/fusion reactions involving the materials on their chores (my blog Stellar Chemistry proposes that stars have planet-like cores of heavy elements within their much huger atmospheres). Novas and supernovas would be particular cases where these cycles allow for some reactions leading to runaway sequences.

In a nutshell, a far more boring Universe than many thought. But I am actually quite a boring guy, so that would be my kind of take on it.....