R Fred Vaughan

Cosmological Effects of Scattering in the Intergalactic Medium R Fred Vaughan

Scattering in intergalactic plasma produces the well-known logarithmic relationship between redshift and distance without what had previously been considered to be an inevitable consequence of a 'tired light' model. The Hubble constant is determined by the average dynamic pressure of the plasma. The extreme temperatures and higher concentrations in intra-cluster plasma produce the 'fingers of god' effects that have previously been attributed to actual high velocity dispersion caused by additional 'dark matter' in clusters and large galaxies according to the 'standard' cosmological model. When effected throughout a redshifting medium, the scattering that results in all thermalization of radiation, produces the blackbody distribution that is at a lower temperature than that of the particles in the scattering medium. Hence the 2.725 K microwave background results from scattering in a medium that is orders of magnitude hotter throughout. Redshifting associated with Hubble's constant converts the energy released in the generation of the ubiquitous 24% helium by mass throughout the universe into the observed radiation density of the microwave background. Thus, unlike for the 'standard' model where additionally a billion times the mass of the current universe had to have been annihilated just to originate background radiation, all the parameters of the current universe fit into a coherent accounting. Previously confusing cosmological effects can all now be accounted in a much less extravagant manner with the plasma scattering model as described in detail in this volume.