Cosmological vs. Relativistic Doppler Shift

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SUMMARY

The discussion clarifies the distinction between cosmological redshift and gravitational redshift, emphasizing that the former results from the universe's expansion while the latter pertains to light emitted from isolated gravitating bodies. The gravitational redshift can be quantified using the formula for spectral line redshift, specifically for light from stars, and has been validated through measurements from the Sun and white dwarfs. The confusion often arises from misinterpreting gravitational redshift as a Doppler effect, which is incorrect. For further reading, the article from Einstein Online provides valuable insights into these concepts.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of cosmological redshift and its implications in astrophysics
  • Familiarity with gravitational redshift and its derivation from General Relativity
  • Knowledge of spectral line measurements in astrophysics
  • Basic grasp of the mathematics involved in redshift calculations
NEXT STEPS
  • Read "Einstein Online" article on gravitational redshift and white dwarfs
  • Study the mathematical derivation of the gravitational redshift formula
  • Explore the implications of cosmological redshift in the context of the expanding universe
  • Investigate the differences between Doppler effect and gravitational redshift in detail
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysicists, and students of physics seeking to deepen their understanding of redshift phenomena and their implications in cosmology and general relativity.

thrush
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Does anybody know a good read/primer that compares the observed cosmological redshift values to predictions made by the relativistic (gravitational) redshift?

Thank you!
 
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The observed cosmological redshift is not viewed as a "gravitational redshift"; the latter concept applies to light emitted from an isolated gravitating body, which the universe is not.
 
Are you asking for comparision of what is observed and what is predicted by the theory?
 
Sorry I missed the response emails...

The observed cosmological redshift is not viewed as a "gravitational redshift"; the latter concept applies to light emitted from an isolated gravitating body, which the universe is not.

Sounds right, thank you.

Are you asking for comparision of what is observed and what is predicted by the theory?

Thank you, yes. What I am looking for is a primer on the comparison between the estimated spectral line redshift from say, a star:

\frac{\lambda_{r}}{\lambda_{e}}=\frac{\sqrt{1-\frac{2GM}{R_{r}C^{2}}}}{\sqrt{1-\frac{2GM}{R_{e}C^{2}}}}

and that which is actually measured here on Earth, and how the two differ. It's actually for a citation, so almost anything will do.

THANKS!
 
Last edited:
thrush said:
What I am looking for is a primer on the comparison between the estimated spectral line redshift from say, a star:

Just to confirm, this is not "cosmological redshift". This is ordinary gravitational redshift, and it has been measured in spectral lines from the Sun and from white dwarfs, and the results are in agreement with the GR prediction. See, for example, here:

http://www.einstein-online.info/spotlights/redshift_white_dwarfs

This article notes that many sources quote gravitational redshifts as a speed, which can cause confusion: this does not mean that the gravitational redshift is due to the Doppler effect. Nor does it mean that gravitational redshift is the same as cosmological redshift, which is also often quoted as a recession speed. Cosmological redshift is due to the expansion of the universe, and the formula for it is quite different from the one you give.
 
I always thought it was odd that we know dark energy expands our universe, and that we know it has been increasing over time, yet no one ever expressed a "true" size of the universe (not "observable" universe, the ENTIRE universe) by just reversing the process of expansion based on our understanding of its rate through history, to the point where everything would've been in an extremely small region. The more I've looked into it recently, I've come to find that it is due to that "inflation"...

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