Gravitational Red-shift and Quasi-stellar Objects

Abstract

THE chief criticism¹ of the gravitational interpretation of the red-shift in the spectra of quasars consists of three items: high electron density, differential gravitational red-shift and the small thickness of the line-emitting layer. Because there are, however, some phenomena suggesting that quasars are not at cosmological distances, it is interesting to try to construct models in which the difficulties imposed by gravitational red-shift are avoided. Let us therefore modify the model studied by Greenstein and Schmidt¹ by assuming that quasars are relatively cool bodies having eruptive atmospheres, the eruptions rising radially from the surface and then falling back. The Sun, for example, would have such an envelope if its gravitational field were strong enough for an appreciable red-shift effect; owing to the high escape velocity, the plasma bursts associated with flares and the solar wind particles could not escape but would fall back forming such an atmosphere.