Copyright 2024 Robert Clark
James Webb was promised to provide revolutionary results in cosmology and has not disappointed. Several observations have shown well-developed galaxies that stem from the earliest time after the Big Bang, which current theories suggest should not be possible.
JWST finds very early galaxies that should not exist.
The observations have led some scientists to question the accuracy of the current models for the beginning of the universe. Further, the cosmological microwave background(CMB) had been regarded as strong confirmation of the Big Bang theory for the origin of the universe. But there is a discrepancy between the rate of expansion of the universe based on the CMB and measurements of galactic motion.
This discrepancy has existed for several years now, but it was hoped with better instruments the discrepancy would be found due to measurement error. Instead, the JWST has provided further evidence the discrepancy is real. Then either the CMB estimate or the interpretation of the redshift measurements or both are wrong.
Here I'll discuss the possibility there is a problem with the interpretation of the origin of the CMB. It seems to me there should be some contribution to the CMB due to highly red shifted infrared and optical radiation from galaxies at high red shifts, but I never see this mentioned. The CMB is only described by relic radiation of the intense heat at the beginning of time that gradually cooled as the universe expanded.
An argument can be made that the CMB is seen in all directions but there are blank areas in some part of the sky. This does not support the idea of the CMB deriving from redshifted light from primordial galaxies.
But the Hubble Deep Field showed abundant galaxies in areas previous thought to be devoid of galaxies. It was a revolutionary advance in our knowledge of the extent of the universe. Hubble deep field images integration times ranged from 10 days to 23 days. But the JWST deep field image only went for a day:
STARTS WITH A BANG — APRIL 17, 2023
JWST surpasses, enhances Hubble’s deepest image ever
With infrared capabilities and image sharpness far beyond Hubble's limits, JWST looked at Hubble's deepest field, revealing so much more.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/jwst-surpasses-hubbles-deepest-image/
In view of the startling find of fully formed galaxies going back to near the time of the Big Bang by the JWST, such long integration times as for the Hubble must also be done for the JWST.
The estimate of the number of galaxies in the universe from the Hubble deep field was 170 billion. But numerical simulations put it at perhaps one hundred times more at 6 to 20 trillion galaxies:
STARTS WITH A BANG — JUNE 22, 2022
There are more galaxies in the Universe than even Carl Sagan ever imagined
Forget billions and billions. When it comes to the number of galaxies in the Universe, both theorists' and observers' estimates are too low.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/galaxies-in-universe/
By doing the longer integration times JWST may be able to confirm this larger number of galaxies. Such a large number of galaxies going back to near the time of the Big Bang may allow the CMB to be equally well explained by highly redshifted light, infrared and optical, from these earliest galaxies.
However, there may be another even greater contributor to the observed CMB. A little known fact is that for most of the galaxies in the universe they are receding from us faster than the speed of light(!)
97% of Galaxies Are Moving Faster Than Light, HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
This is explained as not being in conflict with relativity by the virtue of the fact that space itself is expanding. It is not the case that objects are moving through space as these superluminal speeds.
Nevertheless, this raises an interesting possibility. If it is the case that these galaxies are moving away from us at these apparent superluminal speeds, would we observe a luminal "boom" from these galaxies when they appear to cross the light-speed barrier relative to us?
The luminal boom is a concept that is analogous to the sonic boom for sound waves. This is actually seen for some subatomic particles traveling though matter, where the speed of light is reduced below that of the vacuum speed. In cases where the particles exceed that materials light speed, a phenomenon known as Cerenkov radiation is observed. Note that the particles are still not traveling faster than the vacuum speed of light, only the speed of light in the material. So relativity is still upheld.
An analogous phenomenon is seen in cosmic ultra high energy gamma ray bursts, GRB's:
Faster-Than-Light Speeds Could Be Why Gamma-Ray Bursts Seem to Go Backwards in Time.
SPACE
30 September 2019
By MICHELLE STARR
https://www.sciencealert.com/faster-than-light-speed-in-jets-that-produce-gamma-ray-bursts
This blog post contained the discussion of an alternative explanation for the CMB. Follow up posts will discuss alternative explanations for universe expansion and dark matter.
Robert Clark
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