Student Research Task Redshift in Space Ryan O’Shea 31/08/2022 Mr Fogarty Year 10 Research Task 1 Ryan O’Shea 1. Rationale The claim “Red shift of light is definitive proof that the big bang was the origin of the universe” can be investigated in two areas. The first of these is defining the term ‘red shift’. Red shift can be defined as the “displacement of the spectrum of an astronomical object toward longer (red) wavelengths” (Gregersen, n.d.). The second area is the term ‘Big Bang Theory’. This is one of many theories about the beginning of the universe, in which a massive explosion from a singular point caused the rapid creation of the universe. Many scientists believe that red shift is proof of an explosion because, if there was one, the force created from the blast would send any nearby matter in the opposite direction. Thousands of galaxies in the universe display this change in colour, but the greatest example of red shift is a galaxy by the name of GN-z11. The high levels of red shift associated with GN-z11 signify that this specific galaxy is moving away from some point in the universe, as well as earth. If the big bang was the origin of the universe, then this would explain why Gn-z11 appears red, in line with the red shift theory, indicating movement away from earth (originally from another point). This review will explore the red shift effect, where galaxies appear red (meaning they are moving away). With all of that in mind comes the question, Is the red shift of galaxy GN-z11 conclusive proof that the universe originated from a big bang? If the this can be backed up with scientific evidence, the claim “Red shift of light is definitive proof that the big bang was the origin of the universe” will be supported. 2. Research Question Is the redshift of galaxy GN-z11 conclusive proof that the universe originated from a big bang? Year 10 Research Task 2 Ryan O’Shea 3. Analysis and Interpretation 3.1 Scientific Background Red shift of light is primarily explained and/or backed up by the Doppler Effect. “The Doppler Effect is caused when the source of a waveform—such as sound or light—sends out waves at a regular rate or frequency, but there is a constant relative motion between the source and observer, causing the observed frequency to change” (Kurtus, n.d.). This means in terms of light, if the source emitting light was moving towards earth, the colour produced would be a blue like colour, because the wavelengths are shorter (blueshift). If the source of emitted light was moving away from earth, the colour would appear to be redder, as the wavelength is longer. This is known as the emission spectrum, as different wavelengths of light produce different colours. From research, “The Doppler red-shift of light observed from distant stars and galaxies gives evidence that the universe is expanding (moving away from a central point). This allows for Big Bang Theory, because after a “bang” occurs, all of the matter moves away from the point of origin” (Newcomer Academy High School, n.d.). Redshift supports the theory that there was a massive explosion causing everything in the universe to be pushed away from a central point. 3.2 Data Analysis Figure 1: GN-z11's Red shift in space Year 10 Research Task 3 Ryan O’Shea Gn-z11 is one of the oldest galaxies ever observed from earth. It also happens to be one of the most redshift galaxies in the universe. Nasa Hubble first captured an image of the distant galaxy GN-z11 back in 2016. From earth, it is observed as a red colour, which can be noticed in figure 1. GN-z11 is one of the many examples of how the movement of a galaxy stretches emitted light waves, which in turn, causes them to look red. It is difficult to see, but along with GN-z11, other galaxies in the photo appear to be yellow or even red. This is quite significant, as it indicates that all of these galaxies are moving, specifically away from earth. Figure 2: Map of the universe and level of red shift in distant galaxies “Edwin Hubble investigated redshift and discovered that all galaxies have a positive redshift. In other words, all galaxies were receding from the Milky Way” (Pascarelle, n.d.). When other distant galaxies, nearby GN-z11 were photographed, astronomers noticed that they were also highly red shift, which meant that Edwin Hubble’s theory correct. It turns out that the fastest objects (also the oldest and most red shift) are the furthest objects away from earth. Figure 2 represents this ‘map’ of the universe. As seen, the older different galaxies are, the closer they are to the supposed Big Bang. Figure 2 also shows that the older galaxies in the universe are the most redshift ones, and modern galaxies have little to no redshift at all. Year 10 Research Task 4 Ryan O’Shea Figure 3: Theorised diagram of what the big bang might have looked like Now, with everything in the universe moving somewhere, astronomers have guessed that the galaxies must have started from some point in the universe. The most probable cause of this is a big bang. In any case, a huge explosion would cause nearby matter to be cast in all directions, so in the case of a big bang in the universe, galaxies would have been pushed outwards from the point of explosion. This can be seen illustrated in figure 3, where the objects in space have been pushed away from one point. Overall, there were two main significant points throughout figures 1, 2 and 3. The first of which is that the further away planets are, the more redshift they become. Which leads people to believe in the second point. If they are moving away from one another, they must have started moving from one singular point in the universe. A big bang is theorised to have happened and been the cause of this. This would have pushed every bit of matter nearby away from it, which would explain the reason for the universe’s expansion and the movement of galaxies, specifically Gn-z11. When considering the evidence provided, there is no definitive proof that the redshift of Gn-z11 was caused by a big bang. However, not all factors were accounted for. Firstly, figure 1 has been artificially enhanced by Hubble before release, which means the colours of the galaxies might not be totally accurate. This alteration may cause Gn-z11 to appear slightly different in colour than in actuality. Secondly, figure 3 is a projected idea of what the big bang might have looked like. There is no further proof that this is the exact way the universe has expanded and could easily be different in reality if it was the cause of the movement of these galaxies. Finally, little to no data was found when researching, so there are few sources that can be used to support the claim, other than red shift and different theories. Year 10 Research Task 5 Ryan O’Shea 4. Evaluation 4.1 Evaluation of evidence The diagrams and figures used in this investigation were retrieved from two places. The first of which being the official Hubble website (figures 1 and 2). Hubble is run by Nasa (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), responsible for most space research. The photo of GN-z11 and diagram of red shift galaxies in space are highly credible, as they were photographed and produced by Hubble. With that in mind, the website in which the photos were retrieved from was published in 2016, which means that it is not the most current. Figure 3 was collected from Space.com. The website was published in late 2011, so the data is not very current. The journal that contains the image was made by the staff of the website, so there is no proof of actual scientific background of the author/writer. 4.2 Improvements and extensions There are various improvements that could be made to the data. Firstly, there are many other galaxies that experience the same effect of red shift, only they may not show it as much. Investigating other galaxies would give stronger proof that red shift means they are moving away from earth. So, in order to get more precise evidence on the theory that red shift is proof of the big bang, a much better way to go around investigating distant galaxies is by looking at more of them. This could account for possible flaws in the theory such as red shift only happening in one specific place or different levels of red shift in different galaxies in the same proximity. Year 10 Research Task 6 Ryan O’Shea 5. Conclusion This report investigated the claim “Red shift of light is definitive proof that the big bang was the origin of the universe”. It is clear, after thorough research, that there is very little evidence other than redshift to actually support the theory of a big bang. With that said, it is apparent that the galaxies are moving, with proof being the red shift of GN-z11. This is evident in figures 1 and 2, where distant galaxies’ light waves have been stretched because of their movement, which is known as the doppler effect. This causes the light to appear red in colour when observed from earth. So, the answer to the question ‘Is the redshift of galaxy GN-z11 conclusive proof that the universe originated from a big bang?’ is evidently no, as there is no further proof of a big bang other than redshift of remote galaxies. Year 10 Research Task 7 Ryan O’Shea 6. References Gregersen, E. (n.d.). redshift | Definition & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/redshift Kurtus, R. (n.d.). Doppler Effect for Waveforms by Ron Kurtus - Physics Lessons: School for Champions. Doppler Effect for Waveforms. https://www.school-forchampions.com/science/waves_doppler_effect.htm#.YvXWwHZBw2w NASA Hubble. (2016a, March 3). COMPASS AND SCALE IMAGE FOR GOODS-N AND GNZ11 [Photograph]. COMPASS AND SCALE IMAGE FOR GOODS-N AND GN-Z11. https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2016/07/3711-Image.html?news=true NASA Hubble. (2016b, March 3). UNIVERSE TIMELINE [Photograph]. UNIVERSE TIMELINE. https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2016/07/3707-Image.html?news=true Newcomer Academy High School. (n.d.). "The Birth of The Universe. Microsoft Word - HS Module 1 Birth of the Universe Script. https://louisville.edu/planetarium/research/implementation/visualization-scripts/highschool/hs-module1#:~:text=Doppler%20Red%2DShift%20Evidence&text=The%20Doppler%20red%2Dshift%20o f,from%20the%20point%20of%20origin. Pascarelle, S. (n.d.). High Redshift Objects. Quasars. Retrieved August 16, 2022, from http://abyss.uoregon.edu/%7Ejs/cosmo/lectures/lec12.html#:%7E:text=High%20Redshift%2 0Objects,it%20is%20(Hubble’s%20law). Space.com. (2011, October 18). Big Bang Diagram [Phtotgraph]. Images: Peering Back to the Big Bang & Early Universe. https://www.space.com/13219-photos-big-bang-earlyuniverse-history.html Year 10 Research Task 8 Ryan O’Shea
