THE OVERLAP MODEL OF THE UNIVERSE

This paper presents a model of the universe that enables light to over lap the universe on its way from source to observer. It suggests that light rays from distant galaxies may have undergone such overlap on th eir journeys to Earth. Because of this overlap, the model predicts tha t some of the views of galaxies that we see from Earth may actually be multiple views of the same galaxies. The overlap model resolves sever al difficulties that arise in current nonoverlap models: the isotropy problem of cosmic background radiation, the problem of using Hubble's law at extreme distances in an expanding universe, and the problem of using the cosmological principle at all locations in a finite universe . The model predicts that gravity waves should also overlap, suggestin g that gravity wave interference patterns might explain how our curren t complex structure of galaxies was derived from the uniform soup of m atter following the big bang. The model suggests possible explanations of the nature of quasars and the periodicity of redshifts, and it sup ports findings of apparent increased density and apparent clustering o f the most distant galaxies and quasars. Tests Of the model are propos ed. The results of these tests could determine whether or not the univ erse is closed, and hence would be an indirect method of determining t he density of matter in the universe.