Can the "creation" of space in the Universe affect the speed of light?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around whether the expansion or creation of space in the universe can affect the speed of light over long distances. Participants explore concepts related to cosmology, the implications of the Hubble constant, and the nature of light's travel through expanding space.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question if the expansion of space could affect the speed of light, suggesting that if galaxies can separate faster than light due to the Hubble constant, light might also be impacted in some way.
  • Others argue that the speed of light is invariant when measured locally and that on cosmological scales, its speed over longer distances is not well defined.
  • One participant asserts that the expansion of space is merely a coordinate artifact and cannot affect physical phenomena.
  • It is noted that the "separation speed" of galaxies is a coordinate speed without physical meaning, emphasizing a flawed conceptual framework in the original question.
  • Another participant highlights that there are regions of the universe that will always remain outside the future light cone of certain galaxies, meaning light from those regions will never reach us.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential for light to be affected by massive objects, such as black holes or galaxies, which could alter its path or perceived speed over vast distances.
  • Participants mention established cosmological models that account for the effects of mass and density on light, including phenomena like the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views on the relationship between the expansion of space and the speed of light. There is no consensus on the implications of these concepts, and the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the discussion involves complex concepts in cosmology that may not align with classical understandings. There are references to previous discussions and the need for clarity in the conceptual framework being used.

mister i
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TL;DR
Can the expansion/creation of space in the universe affect the speed of light over long distances? (dividing the space traveled (including expanded space) by the travel time).
Can the expansion/creation of space in the universe affect the speed of light over long distances? (dividing the space traveled (including expanded space) by the travel time). If the Hubble constant is valid throughout the universe, it follows that from a certain Megaparsec of distance, galaxies should separate from us faster than light. Could the same thing happen to light? (I understand that not because this would imply an observer, but if we could see them we would see the galaxies move slower because the trail of their light would be slower)
 
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mister i said:
TL;DR Summary: Can the expansion/creation of space in the universe affect the speed of light over long distances? (dividing the space traveled (including expanded space) by the travel time).

Reference: https://www.physicsforums.com/forums/cosmology.69/post-thread

Can the expansion/creation of space in the universe affect the speed of light over long distances? (dividing the space traveled (including expanded space) by the travel time). If the Hubble constant is valid throughout the universe, it follows that from a certain Megaparsec of distance, galaxies should separate from us faster than light. Could the same thing happen to light? (I understand that not because this would imply an observer, but if we could see them we would see the galaxies move slower because the trail of their light would be slower)
In cosmology, the speed of light is constant (invariant) when measured locally. On cosmological scales, the speed of light over longer distances is not well defined.

In this posts, as in previous posts, you are trying to squeeze modern cosmology into a classical framework, using classical concepts. If you want to learn about cosmology, you will have to open your mind somewhat.
 
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mister i said:
the expansion/creation of space
Is not a real physical thing, it's a coordinate artifact, so it can't affect anything.
 
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mister i said:
If the Hubble constant is valid throughout the universe, it follows that from a certain Megaparsec of distance, galaxies should separate from us faster than light.
This "separation speed" is a coordinate speed and has no physical meaning. This was pointed out in one of your previous threads. As @PeroK [Edit--fixed] has commented, you are using a flawed conceptual scheme, and that's not going to change no matter how many questions along these lines you ask.
 
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PeterDonis said:
As @Ibix has commented, you are using a flawed conceptual scheme, and that's not going to change no matter how many questions along these lines you ask.
I think you mean @PeroK.

OP - I assume this is a followup to my comment yesterday. The best way to ask your question is to ask if there are regions of the universe that will always be outside the future lightcone of some distant galaxy, no matter how far into the future we wait. Yes there are. Light from them will never reach us.

If you choose to describe spacetime in terms of "expanding space" then yes, this can be interpreted as the distance growing too fast for light to reach us. But describing this as space being created is wrong - you are looking at different sections of spacetime, not one "piece of space" that is growing.
 
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Ibix said:
I think you mean @PeroK.
Oops, yes. Will fix.
 
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Ibix said:
OP - I assume this is a followup to my comment yesterday.
Thanks and sorry (I didn't see your reply yesterday)
 
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joshcitylife said:
Locally light presents itself in one way however over vast distances the relationship with light may ultimately become deceptive i.e. is the observation discovering light that has been bent or interrupted via a black hole or galaxy/ large mass. Who is one to say that this light reaching us now is x amount of lightyears away IF the journey has not been interrupted in some way. Has anyone accounted that the sppee of this light may have been subjected to relatively over a vast distance etc.
Yes, we have considered the effect of the mass in the universe on light. That's literally what the standard cosmological models do.

Yes, we have considered the effects of varying density. These are things like the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect where an anomalous blueshift occurs due to a very large under-dense region. We also correct as best we can for the presence of local sources when examining things like the microwave background.
 
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