DUST-SCATTERED X-RAY HALOS AND THE QUASAR REDSHIFT CONTROVERSY

Dust-scattered X-ray halos are tracers not only of the physical proper ties of the scattering grains but also of their spatial distribution a long the line of sight toward the X-ray source. Here I consider the ca se that an X-ray-bright quasar is seen through a dusty spiral galaxy. Based on the example of the QSO-galaxy association Mrk 205-NGC 4319, I point out that within the framework of Arp et at's Doppler interpreta tion of the redshifts of quasars it is possible that such quasars are surrounded by very weak X-ray halos, whereas no halos occur if the qua sars are at cosmological distances. Critical remarks on the practical realization of this test conclude the paper.