streching of wavelengths

[allo4]

I was thinking about how the expansion of the universe streches light waves so the most distant gallaxies appear red (the longer end of the visible light wavelengths). if a gamma wave (or any short wave) was sent away from a distant gallaxy would it be streched to the point that it turns into visible light? and so are we actually seeing a shorter wavelengh waves when we see these red distant gallaxies ... and to continue the radio waves that we recive from further back in our universes time.

 

I was also thinking that without the streching of space would these waves even have a wave effect? perhaps the stretching of space makes the wave effect and without it stretching we would have a pure .. um ?stream of photons? is that right?

 

anyway just a thought, I don't have a great scientific knoledge and just wanted to see if this was an interesting idea or a stupid one

[swansont]

Yes, the wavelength would be stretched. That's why the thermal background of the big bang, which was quite hot, is in the microwave region region and now at 2.7K

[IM Egdall]

II was also thinking that without the streching of space would these waves even have a wave effect? perhaps the stretching of space makes the wave effect and without it stretching we would have a pure .. um ?stream of photons? is that right?

 

 

No. All particles travel like waves, including photons.

Edited March 27, 2011 by I ME