An Alternative Explanation for Cosmological Redshift

Abstract

The first and most compelling evidence of the universe's expansion was, and continues to be, the observed redshift of spectra from distant objects. This paper plays "devil's advocate" by providing an alternative explanation with elementary physics. I assume a steady-state universe that is infinite in both expanse and age, with the observed redshifts caused by particle interactions creating an overall index of refraction of the universe. The cumulative effects of these interactions over long distances cause not only the shifts that we observe, but also the monotonically increasing redshifts as more distant objects are observed. This is a novel explanation for the phenomenon known as "tired light" which has been discussed for decades.