ECM-Based Response to the Question: Is the Speed of Light the Speed of Universal Expansion?

May 16, 2025

Dear Joseph Tommasi,

Thank you for your question—it's a valuable one that touches the heart of cosmological interpretation.

To answer it clearly: No, the speed of light is not the speed at which the universe is expanding. These are distinct physical concepts. The speed of light, c ≈ 299,792,458 m/s, is a universal physical limit derived from electromagnetic wave propagation and constrained by quantum Planck scales—not by the universe’s expansion rate.

In standard cosmology, based on general relativity, the expansion of the universe is interpreted as the stretching of spacetime itself, and superluminal recession of distant galaxies is described as a metric phenomenon. However, Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM) offers a different perspective—recession is not due to spacetime stretching, but rather due to a physical separation driven by the interaction between gravitational and antigravitational forces.

This reinterpretation aligns with observational research such as A. D. Chernin et al.'s work on the Coma Cluster, which highlights the role of dark energy as a repulsive force in shaping large-scale cosmic structures. In the ECM framework, dark energy is modelled as a real physical component with negative apparent mass (−Mᵃᵖᵖ). It exerts an antigravitational force, causing matter-dominated galaxies to accelerate away from one another—not passively drift apart due to expanding coordinates.

In this view, Hubble’s Law:

    v = H₀ × d

is interpreted not as a kinematic rule emerging from an expanding metric, but as a dynamic expression of net force-driven recession, where gravitational attraction becomes increasingly overpowered by the repulsive dynamics of dark-energy-dominated space. When galaxies are distant enough, the antigravitational effect dominates, leading to recession velocities exceeding the speed of light.

This superluminal motion is not paradoxical in ECM, because it does not involve particles exceeding c through space. Instead, it represents a physical divergence caused by a growing imbalance between attractive and repulsive mass-energy components.

Additionally, ECM holds that while mathematical models may permit divergence of speed due to ever-increasing frequency and negative apparent mass, physical reality remains constrained by quantum mechanical bounds—notably the Planck length (Lₚ) and Planck time (Tₚ)—yielding the natural speed limit:

    c = Lₚ / Tₚ

Thus, the speed of light remains the upper bound for any real signal or interaction, even in a universe with force-driven superluminal recession.

In conclusion, under ECM, the speed of light and the rate of universal expansion arise from distinct causes. Light speed is a quantum boundary of propagation, while galactic recession reflects real, force-induced acceleration arising from the interplay of gravitational and antigravitational components across cosmic distances.

Warm regards,

Soumendra Nath Thakur