Six Peaks Visible in the Redshift Distribution of 46,400 SDSS Quasars
Agree with the Preferred Redshifts Predicted by the Decreasing Intrinsic
Redshift Model
The redshift distribution of all 46,400 quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey (SDSS) Quasar Catalog III, Third Data Release, is examined. Six Peaks
that fall within the redshift window below z = 4, are visible. Their positions
agree with the preferred redshift values predicted by the decreasing intrinsic
redshift (DIR) model, even though this model was derived using completely
independent evidence. A power spectrum analysis of the full dataset confirms
the presence of a single, significant power peak at the expected redshift
period. Power peaks with the predicted period are also obtained when the upper
and lower halves of the redshift distribution are examined separately. The
periodicity detected is in linear z, as opposed to log(1+z). Because the peaks
in the SDSS quasar redshift distribution agree well with the preferred
redshifts predicted by the intrinsic redshift relation, we conclude that this
relation, and the peaks in the redshift distribution, likely both have the same
origin, and this may be intrinsic redshifts, or a common selection effect.
However, because of the way the intrinsic redshift relation was determined it
seems unlikely that one selection effect could have been responsible for both.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa