The Relational Properties of Mass

Diffeomorphism invariance invalidates expansion via the Hole Argument. Thus, spacetime has no ontological standing and ΛCDM is not compatible wtih General Relativity. The cosmological redshift is caused by gravitational redshift and the CMB is blueshifted Hawking radiation from the observer-dependent horizon.

Book cover: The Universe Is Not Expanding by Christopher Brown

The Universe Is Not Expanding

By Christopher Brown

Challenge a century of cosmic orthodoxy with a concise, provocative tour through the evidence. This book invites curious readers to look again at redshift, relic light, and the models we use to tell the story of everything.

The Hole argument is a famous thought experiment, originally developed by Einstein and later refined by philosopher John Earman in the 1980s. In short, the argument states that if you have a solution to the EFE for an arangement of mass, the spacetime points of the manifold must remain diffeomorphically invariant. In other words, it is the mass that encodes gravitational curvature, not spacetime.


The FLRW metric assumes a global cosmic time, a preferred slicing, and comoving distances that evolve with a scale factor $a(t)$. These are gauge choices and not diffeomorphism-invariant. This means the FLRW metric is incompatible with General Relativity.

How much mass is needed to align gravitational redshift with Hubble's law?

A simple $\rho \propto \frac{1}{r}$ relationship is enough to reproduce the cosmological redshift from gravitational redshift on all scales. Astronomers and cosmologists have ignored this possibility because they draw artifical boundaries around stars and galaxies.


Working directly Hubble's law I've listed the mass, density, and gravitational redshift for various cosmological scales below.

Scale1 Mpc radius

Local group neighborhood

z ≈ 0.000120 ρ̄ ↓ with r Google: compute z Google: compactness
Radius1 Mpc · 3.0857×1022 m
Volume4.1888 Mpc³ · 1.2307×1068 m³
Mass4.9834×1045 kg · 2.5061×1015 M☉
Mean Density4.0494×10−23 kg/m³ · 5.9830×1014 M☉/Mpc³
# Galaxies (dwarf → giant)1.25×108 → 2.49×102
# Galaxies (~Milky Way)2.51×103
Image: your 1 Mpc overlay
1 Mpc annotated galaxies
Scale2 Mpc radius

Mini–group plus

z ≈ 0.000240 ρ̄ ≈ 2.02×10−23 kg/m³ Google: compute z Google: compactness
Radius2 Mpc · 6.1714×1022 m
Volume33.510 Mpc³ · 9.8453×1068 m³
Mass1.9934×1046 kg · 1.0025×1016 M☉
Mean Density2.0247×10−23 kg/m³ · 2.9915×1014 M☉/Mpc³
# Galaxies (dwarf → giant)4.98×108 → 9.97×102
# Galaxies (~Milky Way)1.00×104
Image: your 2 Mpc overlay
2 Mpc annotated galaxies
Scale3 Mpc radius

Group scale

z ≈ 0.000359 ρ̄ ≈ 1.35×10−23 kg/m³ Google: compute z Google: compactness
Radius3 Mpc · 9.2570×1022 m
Volume113.10 Mpc³ · 3.3258×1069 m³
Mass4.4851×1046 kg · 2.2555×1016 M☉
Mean Density1.3498×10−23 kg/m³ · 1.9943×1014 M☉/Mpc³
# Galaxies (dwarf → giant)1.12×109 → 2.24×103
# Galaxies (~Milky Way)2.26×104
Image: your 3 Mpc overlay
3 Mpc annotated galaxies
Scale4 Mpc radius

Pre-cluster zone

z ≈ 0.000479 ρ̄ ≈ 1.01×10−23 kg/m³ Google: compute z Google: compactness
Radius4 Mpc · 1.2343×1023 m
Volume268.08 Mpc³ · 7.8843×1069 m³
Mass7.9734×1046 kg · 4.0098×1016 M☉
Mean Density1.0123×10−23 kg/m³ · 1.4958×1014 M☉/Mpc³
# Galaxies (dwarf → giant)1.99×109 → 3.99×103
# Galaxies (~Milky Way)4.01×104
Image: your 4 Mpc overlay
4 Mpc annotated galaxies
Scale5 Mpc radius

Cluster scale

z ≈ 0.000599 ρ̄ ≈ 8.10×10−24 kg/m³ Google: compute z Google: compactness
Radius5 Mpc · 1.5428×1023 m
Volume523.59 Mpc³ · 1.5383×1070 m³
Mass1.2459×1047 kg · 6.2654×1016 M☉
Mean Density8.0987×10−24 kg/m³ · 1.1966×1014 M☉/Mpc³
# Galaxies (dwarf → giant)3.11×109 → 6.23×103
# Galaxies (~Milky Way)6.27×104
Image: your 5 Mpc overlay
5 Mpc annotated galaxies
Scale10 Mpc radius

Supercluster filament

z ≈ 0.001200 ρ̄ ≈ 4.05×10−24 kg/m³ Google: compute z Google: compactness
Radius10 Mpc · 3.0857×1023 m
Volume4,188.79 Mpc³ · 1.2307×1071 m³
Mass4.9834×1047 kg · 2.5061×1017 M☉
Mean Density4.0494×10−24 kg/m³ · 5.9830×1013 M☉/Mpc³
# Galaxies (dwarf → giant)1.25×1010 → 2.49×104
# Galaxies (~Milky Way)2.51×105
Image: your 10 Mpc overlay
10 Mpc annotated galaxies
Scale100 Mpc radius

Cosmic web patch

z ≈ 0.012196 ρ̄ ≈ 4.05×10−25 kg/m³ Google: compute z Google: compactness
Radius100 Mpc · 3.0857×1024 m
Volume4.1888×106 Mpc³ · 1.2307×1074 m³
Mass4.9834×1049 kg · 2.5061×1019 M☉
Mean Density4.0494×10−25 kg/m³ · 5.9830×1012 M☉/Mpc³
# Galaxies (dwarf → giant)1.25×1012 → 2.49×106
# Galaxies (~Milky Way)2.51×107
Image: your 100 Mpc overlay
100 Mpc annotated galaxies
Scale1000 Mpc radius

Hemispheric swath

z ≈ 0.146727 ρ̄ ≈ 4.05×10−26 kg/m³ Google: compute z Google: compactness
Radius1000 Mpc · 3.0857×1025 m
Volume4.1888×109 Mpc³ · 1.2307×1077 m³
Mass4.9834×1051 kg · 2.5061×1021 M☉
Mean Density4.0494×10−26 kg/m³ · 5.9830×1011 M☉/Mpc³
# Galaxies (dwarf → giant)1.25×1014 → 2.49×108
# Galaxies (~Milky Way)2.51×109
Image: your 1000 Mpc overlay
1000 Mpc annotated galaxies
ScaleHorizon radius

Model horizon

r ≈ 4174.8 Mpc · 1.2882×1026 m z → ∞ Google: compute z Google: compactness
Volume3.0478×1011 Mpc³ · 8.9544×1078 m³
Mass8.6854×1052 kg · 4.3679×1022 M☉
Mean Density9.6996×10−27 kg/m³ · 1.4331×1011 M☉/Mpc³
# Galaxies (dwarf → giant)2.17×1015 → 4.34×106
# Galaxies (~Milky Way)4.37×1010
Image: your horizon overlay
Horizon radius annotated galaxies

There is exactly enough mass present for all scales to reproduce Hubble's law as gravitational redshift!

Core Proposal

On large scales the observable Universe is well described by a static, spherically symmetric geometry tied to an observer-dependent horizon at radius \(r_h\). A scale-dependent mass profile \[\bar\rho(r)=\tfrac{3k}{2r},\qquad m(r)=2\pi k r^2\] yields constant radial acceleration \(a=2\pi Gk\) and a redshift law \[1+z=\sqrt{\tfrac{1 - r_\text{obs}/r_h}{1 - r_\text{em}/r_h}},\] with metric coefficient \[A(r)=(1-r/r_h)^{-1}.\] With the observer at the origin \((r_\text{obs}=0)\), this reduces to \[1+z=(1-r/r_h)^{-1/2},\] and the small-\(r\) limit recovers Hubble’s law with \[H_0=\frac{c}{r_h}=\frac{4\pi Gk}{c}.\]

Formulation

Density & mass

\[\bar\rho(r)=\frac{3k}{2r},\qquad m(r)=2\pi k r^2.\]

Metric & redshift

Static, spherically symmetric line element: \[ ds^2 = -\frac{c^2 dt^2}{1 - r/r_h} + \frac{dr^2}{1 - r/r_h} + r^2 d\Omega^2. \] Redshift between emitter and observer: \[ 1+z=\sqrt{\frac{1 - r_\text{obs}/r_h}{1 - r_\text{em}/r_h}}. \] With \(r_\text{obs}=0\): \(1+z=(1-r/r_h)^{-1/2}\), so \(z\simeq r/(2r_h)\Rightarrow v\simeq H_0 r\).

Horizon, Hubble, acceleration

\[r_h=\frac{c^2}{4\pi G k},\qquad H_0=\frac{c}{r_h}=\frac{4\pi G k}{c},\qquad a=\frac{G m(r)}{r^2}=2\pi G k.\]

Surface density (horizon)

\[\sigma_h=\frac{M}{A}=\frac{m(r_h)}{4\pi r_h^2}=\frac{k}{2}.\]

All equations on this page are standardized to the mass profile \(m(r)=2\pi k r^2\) with effective density \(\bar\rho(r)=3k/(2r)\), ensuring consistency across redshift, CMB, and BAO derivations.

The CMB as Near-Horizon Hawking Radiation

Key relations

In this framework, the observed 2.725 K Cosmic Microwave Background arises from Hawking radiation emitted just inside the horizon and blueshifted on its way to us.

Hawking temperature at the horizon: \[T_H = \frac{\hbar G k}{c k_B}.\]

For emission a small distance \(\delta\) inside the horizon \((r_\text{em} = r_h - \delta,\ \delta \ll r_h)\): \[1+z = \left(1-\frac{r_\text{em}}{r_h}\right)^{-1/2} = \sqrt{\frac{r_h}{\delta}}.\]

The observed temperature is then \[T_\text{obs} = T_H \sqrt{\frac{r_h}{\delta}}.\]

Setting \(T_\text{obs} = T_\text{CMB} = 2.725\ \text{K}\) gives \[\delta = r_h\!\left(\frac{T_H}{T_\text{CMB}}\right)^2.\] With \(k \simeq 0.833\ \text{kg/m}^2\), this yields \(\delta \approx 3.48\times10^{-35}\ \text{m} \approx 2.15\,\ell_P.\)

Note: This result depends on \(H_0\) through \(r_h\). The figures here use \(H_0 \approx 72\ \text{km s}^{-1}\,\text{Mpc}^{-1}\).

Interactive CMB calculator

Enter the emission distance from the horizon \(\delta\) (meters):

Cosmic Microwave Background map

Because the horizon radius equals the Schwarzschild radius of the enclosed mass, both forms of the redshift law coincide near the horizon.

Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (147 Mpc) without Expansion

The observed BAO ruler at 147 Mpc arises naturally in this framework, without invoking an expanding universe.

1. Tolman temperature law: \[T(r)\sqrt{A(r)} = T_0,\quad A(r)=(1-r/r_h)^{-1}.\] Setting the recombination temperature \(T_{\rm dec}\approx 3000\ \text{K}\) gives the decoupling redshift \(1+z_* \approx 1100.\)

2. Null geodesics: Radial light paths satisfy \[\frac{dr}{dt}=c\,(1-r/r_h).\]

3. Proper sound horizon: With sound speed \(c_s = c/\sqrt{3},\) the proper distance to the decoupling shell is \[r_s=\frac{c}{\sqrt{3}}\,t_*=\frac{2 r_h}{\sqrt{3}}\ln(1+z_*).\]

4. Observed BAO scale: Including the redshift factor, the observed length is \[\lambda_{\rm obs} = r_s(1+z_*) \approx 147\ \text{Mpc},\] in precise agreement with the measured BAO feature.

This framework also yields a fully analytic template for the CMB angular power spectrum — Sachs–Wolfe plateau, acoustic peaks at \(\ell \sim 200,400,600\), and intrinsic high-\(\ell\) damping — all without adding an empirical Silk damping term.

Galactic Rotation Curves

From the mass profile \(m(r)=2\pi k r^2\), the gravitational acceleration is scale-independent:

\[a=\frac{G m(r)}{r^2}=2\pi Gk.\]

Circular velocities then follow

\[v(r)=\sqrt{a r}=\sqrt{2\pi Gk\,r},\]

which predicts a gently rising curve \(v\propto \sqrt{r}\). This behavior matches the observed prevalence of rising rotation curves in dwarf and low-surface-brightness galaxies, and the acceleration scale \(a=2\pi Gk\) is numerically comparable to the MOND critical value \(a_0\sim 10^{-10}\,\text{m/s}^2\).

Numbers (with \(k=0.833\,\text{kg/m}^2\))
  • \(a=2\pi Gk \approx 3.49\times 10^{-10}\,\text{m/s}^2\).
  • \(v(10\,\text{kpc}) \approx 220\,\text{km/s}\).
  • \(v(30\,\text{kpc}) \approx 380\,\text{km/s}\).

Reference Cards

Density profile
\[\bar\rho(r)=\tfrac{3k}{2r}\] Scale-dependent; averages to \(m(r)=2\pi k r^2\).
Metric factor
\[A(r)=(1-r/r_h)^{-1}\] Redshift follows \(1+z=\sqrt{A_\text{em}/A_\text{obs}}\).
Hubble & horizon
\[H_0=\tfrac{c}{r_h}=\tfrac{4\pi Gk}{c},\quad r_h=\tfrac{c^2}{4\pi Gk}\]
Redshift (observer at origin)
\[1+z=(1-r/r_h)^{-1/2}\]
CMB relations
\[ T_H=\tfrac{\hbar G k}{c k_B} \] \[ T_\text{CMB}=T_H\sqrt{\tfrac{r_h}{\delta}} \] \[ \delta\approx 2.15\,\ell_P \]
Surface density (horizon)
\[\sigma_h=\tfrac{k}{2}\] \(k\approx 0.833\,\text{kg/m}^2 \Rightarrow \sigma_h\approx 0.416\,\text{kg/m}^2\).
Acceleration
\[a=2\pi Gk\] Uniform background acceleration.