Redshifts of 1548 + 115a and 1548 + 115b in the theory of the generalised gravitational potential

Abstract

IN a recent communication Wampler et al.¹ reported the redshifts of the QSO pair 1548 + 115a, b. For the QSO 1548 + 115a the redshift is given as z = 0.4359 and for 1548 + 115b as z = 1.901. Since these QSOs are separated by approximately 5 arc s these authors concluded, primarily on the basis of a statistical argument, that these two objects are at the same cosmological distance and that the redshifts are therefore “discordant”. In addition these authors noted that the wavelength ratio (1 + z)_b / (1 + z)_a = 2.02, which is sufficiently close to a factor of two for them to speculate that for such optically associated objects this “… is either an unfortunate coincidence or a profound mystery”.