The Massive Black Hole Bias: A Potential Origin for the Cosmological Redshift-Distance Relation without Universal Expansion

Abstract The inference of universal expansion rests primarily on the observed redshift–distance relation for galaxies. We propose that this relation may arise not from expanding space but from systematic observational biases inherent in deep–field astronomy. At increasing distances, detection limits permit the observation of only the most luminous—and thus the most massive and compact—astrophysical systems. If the gravitational redshift of these objects is larger than traditionally estimated, a natural correlation arises: objects detected at greater distances will on average exhibit higher intrinsic gravitational redshift. This mimics the functional form of Hubble's law without invoking cosmic expansion. Furthermore, a reassessment of the concept of mass in Push Gravity (PG)—a theoretical framework that resolves longstanding inconsistencies in standard mass determination and gravitational coupling—suggests that the gravitational influence of compact bodies has been substantially underestimated. PG distinguishes between effective mass, the gravitationally active component, and black mass, the inert interior, embedded within a thin, highly absorbing Total Absorption Layer (TAL). This reinterpretation alters the relation between luminosity, radius, and mass, and leads to Malmquist-like selection effects that systematically bias high-redshift observations. If correct, these effects imply that the cosmological redshift may be of gravitational rather than kinematic origin, and that the case for universal expansion requires re-examination. The present work develops this thesis and lays the foundation for a cosmology based on PG rather than on spacetime expansion.