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Following the discovery in the 1960s of radio and optical QSOs it was found that some of them lie very close to low-redshift (z ≤ 0.01) spiral galaxies with separations of 2 arcmin. These were discovered both serendipitously by many observers, and systematically by Arp. They are some of the brightest QSOs in radio and optical wavelengths and are very rare. We have carried out a new statistical analysis of most of those galaxy-QSO pairs and find that the configurations have high statistical significance. We show that gravitational microlensing due to stars or other dark objects in the halos of the galaxies apparently cannot account for the excess. Sampling or identification bias likewise seems unable to explain it. Following this up we selected all ~4000 QSOs with g ≤ 18 from a catalog of confirmed QSOs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and compared them with various subsets of galaxies from the RC 3 galaxy catalog. In contrast to the earlier results, no significant excess of such QSOs was found around these galaxies. Possible reasons for the discrepancy are discussed.

It is shown that there is no underlying basic theory which will lead to the idea that the lightest isotopes were produced in an early universe. Everything depends on the choice of the initial ratio of the energy density of photons to baryons that is chosen (originally by Gamow and his colleagues). There is a clear alternative for the origin of the light isotopes. This is that they were generated by hydrogen burning in stars which produces the helium directly while are produced by flare activity in stellar atmospheres. All of this activity takes place in the centers of active galaxies where matter is being created in a cyclic (quasi-steady) state universe.

A strong X-ray source only 8" from the nucleus of the Sy2 galaxy NGC 7319 in Stephan's Quintet has been discovered by Chandra. We have identified the optical counterpart and show it is a QSO with $z_e = 2.114$. It is also a ULX with $L_x = 1.5 x 10^{40} erg sec^{-1}$. From the optical spectra of the QSO and interstellar gas in the galaxy (z = .022) we show that it is very likely that the QSO and the gas are interacting., Comment: 8 figures, 5 color, minimized ps size

Using interferometric methods, radio astronomers have shown that very rapid motions involving radio jets are detectable in a variety of active centers: the nuclei of low-redshift radio galaxies, QSOs and BL Lac objects, and active binary systems containing a black hole or a neutron star in our own Galaxy. By comparing the positions of about 80 extragalactic sources of this type with the position of the galaxies in the de Vaucouleurs catalog and the updated QSO catalog of Veron-Cetty and Veron, it is shown that about 50% of them lie within 1° of a low-redshift spiral galaxy, and about 15% lie so close to galaxies (Δθ ≤ 10') that the associations are highly significant. Thus, the sources are probably physically associated with these galaxies. All the galaxies are classified as spiral. In addition, many of the sources have other QSOs lying very close to them. These results suggest that the motions observed in these radio sources, as well as in the nuclei of radio galaxies and in Galactic microquasars, and perhaps in many more QSOs and other objects, are all similar and are mildly relativistic, and they do not require us to invoke large Lorentz factors. Some of the problems associated with this picture are discussed.

The starburst / AGN galaxy M82 was studied by Dahlem, Weaver and Heckman using X-ray data from ROSAT and ASCA, as part of their X-ray survey of edge-on starburst galaxies. They found seventeen unresolved hard-X-ray sources around M82, in addition to its strong nuclear source, and other X-rays within the main body of M82. We have measured optical point sources at these positions, and have obtained redshifts of six candidates at the Keck I 10-m telescope, using the low-resolution imaging spectrograph (LRIS). All six are highly compact optical and X-ray objects with redshifts ranging from 0.111 to 1.086. They all show emission lines. The three with the highest redshifts are clearly QSOs. The others with lower redshifts may either be QSOs or compact emission-line galaxies. In addition to these six there are nine QSOs lying very close to M82 which were discovered many years ago. There is no difference between optical spectra of these latter QSOs, only two of which are known to be X-ray sources, and the X-ray emitting QSOs. The redshifts of all fifteen range between 0.111 and 2.05. The large number of QSOs and their apparent association with ejected matter from M82 suggest that they are physically associated with the galaxy, and have large intrinsic redshift components. If this is correct, the absolute magnitudes lie in the range -8 < M_v < -10. Also we speculate that the luminous variable X-ray source which has been detected by Chandra in the main body of M82 some 9 arcseconds from the center is another QSO in the process of ejection from the nucleus, and propose some observational tests of this hypothesis.

It is pointed out that the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 6212 is surrounded by a large number of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), including the very active and rapidly varying radio QSO 3C 345, which lies only 47 away from the center of the galaxy. There are two pairs of QSOs with the same redshifts, including 3C 345, very close to the nucleus of NGC 6212, and the very high density of the QSOs falls off rapidly with distance from that galaxy. If 3C 345 lies at the distance of NGC 6212, the proper motions in the radio jet in 3C 345, which have been studied in detail, correspond to only mildly relativistic speeds, of about 0.33c.

It is shown that the redshifts zo of ?-ray burst (GRB) sources, where they have been measured, together with the redshifts for seven quasars (QSOs) that lie very close to the positions of the unidentified sources GRB 990625, 000210, 001105 (two QSOs), 940720, 991217, and 990506, show a remarkable tendency to cluster about several of the periodic redshift peaks previously established for QSOs at z = 0.061, 0.30, 0.60, 0.96, 1.41, 1.96, 2.63, 3.44, and 4.45. In 1971, Karlsson showed that these peaks lie in a series with ? log(1 + z) = 0.089. Out of a total of 32 currently known redshifts of GRBs, afterglows, or QSOs very close to burst positions, two are very close to 0.30, three are close to 0.60, nine are equal to or very close to 0.96, three are very close to 1.41, six are close to 1.96, two are close to 3.44, and one is very close to 4.45. Statistical tests by W. Napier show that the observed redshifts zo showed periodicity at the 98% confidence level. In addition, very close to the positions of two bursts GRB 990625 and GRB 001105, many QSOs with redshifts close to the peak values have been found. Since zo = [(1 + zc)(1 + zD)(1 + zi) - 1], where zc, zD, and zi are the cosmological, Doppler, and intrinsic components of the observed redshift zo, the existence of these peaks suggests that zo zi, so that both zc and zD are very much less than zo. However, while the observed values of zo are very close to the corresponding values of zi, in most cases zo > zi, suggesting that in most cases zc is greater than it was found to be in earlier samples of X-ray QSOs that appear to be ejected from bright galaxies. It appears likely, therefore, that the GRB sources, like the QSOs, are ejected from active galaxies, most of which have comparatively small cosmological redshifts 0.02 ? zc ? 0.1, thus suggesting that the distances of most of the GRB sources are ?500 Mpc. A possible example of an active galaxy that has given rise to such phenomena is UGC 12348 (zi = 0.03). This galaxy has two GRB sources and three QSOs with measured redshifts zo that lie very close to intrinsic redshift peaks all lying within 1? of it. Among these five objects, the QSO at z = 3.7 lies inside the error box for the unidentified burst GRB 991217.

Fred Hoyle's paternal grandfather was George Hoyle, who came from Lancashire to settle in Gilstead, a village on the edge of the moors above the town of Bingley in West Yorkshire. He was interested in mathematics and chess, and reportedly had a mass of grey curls. His son, Ben Hoyle, originally emigrated to the USA but returned to Gilstead to help his widowed mother. He started working in the wool trade in Bradford before World War I. Fred's father, Ben Hoyle, and his mother, née Mabel Pickard, were cousins, because their mothers were sisters. The sisters were part of the large family of Ben Preston. He was much respected in the village for the poems that he wrote and the regular articles that he contributed to the Bradford Argus. Ben Preston's mother was a member of the Hammond family, who were well-known brewers in Bradford. Both Ben Preston's house (Hammondale) and a pub that he built with his brother John can still be found in Gilstead.

Soon after Fred Hoyle died on August 20, 2001, Chandra Wickramasinghe, Jayant Narlikar and I decided that we would organize a meeting to celebrate Fred, all of his works, and the tremendous influence that he has had on all of us, and on many aspects of science over the last sixty years.

New spectrophotometric observations are presented for three blue stellar objects pinpointed as candidate optical identifications of ROSAT X‐ray point sources in the field around the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548. They are shown to be medium‐redshift QSOs. In combination with cataloged data on QSOs in several square degrees around NGC 5548, the areal density of QSOs immediately around the galaxy may exceed the average values determined from various surveys. This result, together with the configuration, suggests that these QSOs may be physically associated with NGC 5548.

At IAU Symposium No. 168 the presentation was divided into two parts:I.Theoretical Foundations andII.Observational Facts and Consequences

I have shown that there is a close connection between active galaxies which are powerful sources of non-thermal optical radiation, radio flux and X-rays, quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), and gamma-ray burst sources (GRB) (Burbidge 2003, Ap.J. , 585 , 112-120). Extensive observational evidence is converging to show that the ultimate sources are active spiral galaxies which eject QSOs and GRB sources. Studies of the associations between bright QSOs and active spirals, using both radio and X-ray samples provide overwhelming evidence that all types of QSOs are ejected from these active galaxies. From this evidence it is clear that the bulk of the redshifts of the QSOs are of non-cosmological origin, and these intrinsic redshifts show remarkable peaks and periodicity. Recently it has been found that a number of the GRB sources lie very close to known QSOs, and it appears that they also are ejected from active galaxies. Evidence on 12 new GRB for which data were not available for analysis earlier is reviewed here.

Outside cosmology, the procedure normally followed in science requires the integration of hyperbolic partial differential equations subject to initial data given on a free surface, which is usually taken to be a time section of spacetime. The initial data are determined in experimental science from observation and the results of the integrations are also checked by observations. Friedmann (Big Bang) cosmology suffers, however, from the fact that the observations cannot determine initial conditions. Thus in that theory the initial conditions have only the weak status of guesses. There is also some question whether the correct equations are being used, since the gravitational equations of that cosmology are not scale invariant, a situation unlike the rest of physics. Since matter exists in what is supposed to be a space of finite temporal duration its origin should be explained, working from a suitable lagrangian and action. Otherwise the origin is placed outside science. This is what is done in Big Bang cosmology. In this paper we depart from the standard procedure by first deriving gravitational equations that are scale invariant, whence it is shown that in a scale invariant gravitational theory particles have the property that the two lengths associated with them, the Compton wavelength and gravitational radius, must be comparable, i.e. they are Planck particles. It is then shown that the theory has the scope to explain the genesis of the so-called cosmological constant, and the usually required magnitude of the cosmological constant is derived. When interactions other than gravitation are included, Planck particles are unstable. The effect of instability on newly created Planck particles is to introduce terms into the gravitational equations additional to those of general relativity. In particular, there are negative pressure terms which act to expand the universe. The energy terms are such as to suggest that particle creation must be of an explosive nature and that it must occur in the neighbourhoods of highly compacted bodies, a property which appears to provide a connection between cosmological theory and high-energy astrophysics.

The numerical consequences of the theory developed in two previous papers are examined in more detail. In particular, it is shown that the radio source count data can be explained to high accuracy, including the steeper-than-Euclidean slope of the count distribution at its high-flux end. By specifying the parameters of the theory, we obtain reasonable values for the Hubble constant and the ages of the globular clusters, a maximum redshift for any object observed from the present oscillatory cycle of the Universe, a minimum average density of ∼2×10 −27 g cm −3 for clusters of galaxies, and a temperature close to 2.7 K for the microwave background. The theory predicts a near-blackbody spectrum for the microwave background, and also explains the observed anisotropy

The evidence showing that many QSOs with large redshifts are physically associated with galaxies with small redshifts is summarized. The evidence for physical pairs is described, as is the evidence of the correlation of the angular separation between the QSO and galaxy (ϕ) with the redshift zc (or distance) of the galaxy. For a large sample of pairs ϕzg = constant. It is shown that there are at least four pairs, 3C 232 and NGC 3067, U4 and NGC 3079, Q1327-206 and ESO 1327–2041, and Q0248+430 and Anon. Galaxy, in which optical features showing absorption are seen to lie along the line joining the QSO and the galaxy. These alignments provide further strong evidence for physical associations.

In this paper we discuss the properties of the quasi-steady state cosmological model (QSSC) developed in 1993 in its role as a cyclic model of the universe driven by a negative energy scalar field. We discuss the origin of such a scalar field in the primary creation process first described by F. Hoyle and J. V. Narlikar forty years ago. It is shown that the creation processes which takes place in the nuclei of galaxies are closely linked to the high energy and explosive phenomena, which are commonly observed in galaxies at all redshifts. The cyclic nature of the universe provides a natural link between the places of origin of the microwave background radiation (arising in hydrogen burning in stars), and the origin of the lightest nuclei (H, D, He$^3$ and He$^4$). It also allows us to relate the large scale cyclic properties of the universe to events taking place in the nuclei of galaxies. Observational evidence shows that ejection of matter and energy from these centers in the form of compact objects, gas and relativistic particles is responsible for the population of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) and gamma-ray burst sources in the universe. In the later parts of the paper we briefly discuss the major unsolved problems of this integrated cosmological and cosmogonical scheme. These are the understanding of the origin of the intrinsic redshifts, and the periodicities in the redshift distribution of the QSOs., 51 pages including 1 figure

We discuss evidence to show that the generally accepted view of the Big Bang model for the origin of the Universe is unsatisfactory. We suggest an alternative model that satisfies the constraints better.

The similarity of the absorption spectra of gamma-ray burst (GRB) sources or afterglows with the absorption spectra of quasars (QSOs) suggests that QSOs and GRB sources are very closely related. Since most people believe that the redshifts of QSOs are of cosmological origin, it is natural to assume that GRBs or their afterglows also have cosmological redshifts. For some years a few of us have argued that there is much optical evidence suggesting a very different model for QSOs, in which their redshifts have a non-cosmological origin, and are ejected from low-redshift active galaxies. In this paper I extend these ideas to GRBs. In 2003, Burbidge (Burbidge 2003 Astrophys. J. 183 , 112–120) showed that the redshift periodicity in the spectra of QSOs appears in the redshift of GRBs. This in turn means that both the QSOs and the GRB sources are similar objects ejected from comparatively low-redshift active galaxies. It is now clear that many of the GRBs of low redshift do appear in, or very near, active galaxies. A new and powerful result supporting this hypothesis has been produced by Prochter et al . (Prochter et al . 2006 Astrophys. J. Lett . 648 , L93–L96). They show that in a survey for strong MgII absorption systems along the sightlines to long-duration GRBs, nearly every sightline shows at least one absorber. If the absorbers are intervening clouds or galaxies, only a small fraction should show absorption of this kind. The number found by Prochter et al . is four times higher than that normally found for the MgII absorption spectra of QSOs. They believe that this result is inconsistent with the intervening hypothesis and would require a statistical fluctuation greater than 99.1% probability. This is what we expect if the absorption is intrinsic to the GRBs and the redshifts are not associated with their distances. In this case, the absorption must be associated with gas ejected from the QSO. This in turn implies that the GRBs actually originate in comparatively low-redshift active galaxies and are ejected in the same way as are the QSOs. This relates these phenomena to a supernova origin for the GRBs. The current situation based on the latest observational data will be discussed.

The energy released in the synthesis of cosmic 4He from hydrogen is almost exactly equal to the energy contained in the cosmic microwave background radiation. This result strongly suggests that the 4He was produced by hydrogen burning in stars and not in the early stages of a big bang. In addition, we show that there are good arguments for believing that the other light isotopes, D, 3He, 6Li, 7Li, 9Be, 10B and 11B were also synthesized in processes involving stars. By combining these results with the earlier, much more detailed work of Burbidge et al. and of Cameron, we can finally conclude that all of the chemical elements were synthesized from hydrogen in stars over a time of about 1011yr.

Some problems associated with the big bang cosmological model are briefly discussed. It is shown that the quasi-steady state model (QSSC) is a viable alternative. Moreover, the cosmogony related to this theory is supported by the observations.

The strong radio source 3C343.1 consists of a galaxy and a QSO separated by no more than about 0.25 arcsec. The chance of this being an accidental superposition is conservatively 10^-8. The z=0.344 galaxy is connected to the z=0.750 QSO by a radio bridge. The numerical relation between the two redshifts is that predicted from previous associations. This pair is an extreme example of many similar physical associations of QSOs and galaxies with very different redshifts., Comment: A&A Letters in press

We calculate the expected angular power spectrum of the temperature fluctuations in the microwave background radiation (MBR) generated in the quasi-steady state cosmology (QSSC). The paper begins with a brief description of how the background is produced and thermalized in the QSSC. We then discuss within the framework of a simple model, the likely sources of fluctuations in the background due to astrophysical and cosmological causes. Power spectrum peaks at $l \approx 6-10$, 180-220 and 600-900 are shown to be related in this cosmology respectively to curvature effects at the last minimum of the scale factor, clusters and groups of galaxies. The effect of clusters is shown to be related to their distribution in space as indicated by a toy model of structure formation in the QSSC. We derive and parameterize the angular power spectrum using six parameters related to the sources of temperature fluctuations at three characteristic scales. We are able to obtain a satisfactory fit to the observational band power estimates of MBR temperature fluctuation spectrum. Moreover, the values of `best fit' parameters are consistent with the range of expected values., 27 pages, including 5 figures; to appear in Astrophys. J

It is generally argued that the present cosmological observations support the accelerating models of the universe, as driven by the cosmological constant or `dark energy'. We argue here that an alternative model of the universe is possible which explains the current observations of the universe. We demonstrate this with a reinterpretation of the magnitude-redshift relation for Type Ia supernovae, since this was the test that gave a spurt to the current trend in favour of the cosmological constant., 12 pages including 2 figures, minor revision, references added, a paragraph on the interpretation of the CMB anisotropy in the QSSC added in conclusion, general results unchanged. To appear in the October 2002 issue of the "Publications of the Astronmical Society of the Pacific"

It is suggested that many of the ultraluminous compact x-ray sources now being found in the main bodies of galaxies, particularly those that are active, like M82, NGC 3628 and others, are "local" QSOs, or BL Lac objects, with high intrinsic redshifts in the process of being ejected from those galaxies. Evidence in support of this hypothesis is summarized., Comment: submitted to A&A Letters

Two new samples of QSOs have been constructed from recent surveys to test the hypothesis that the redshift distribution of bright QSOs is periodic in $\log(1+z)$. The first of these comprises 57 different redshifts among all known close pairs or multiple QSOs, with image separations $\leq$ 10\arcsec, and the second consists of 39 QSOs selected through their X-ray emission and their proximity to bright comparatively nearby active galaxies. The redshift distributions of the samples are found to exhibit distinct peaks with a periodic separation of $\sim 0.089 $ in $\log(1+z)$ identical to that claimed in earlier samples but now extended out to higher redshift peaks $z = 2.63, 3.45$ and 4.47, predicted by the formula but never seen before. The periodicity is also seen in a third sample, the 78 QSOs of the 3C and 3CR catalogues. It is present in these three datasets at an overall significance level $10^{-5}$ - $10^{-6}$, and appears not to be explicable by spectroscopic or similar selection effects. Possible interpretations are briefly discussed., submitted for publication in the Astronomical Journal, 15 figures

The glorious years of discovery in radio astronomy in the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge were dominated by the personality of Martin Ryle. The contact to the theorists, in the Observatories only a short distance away, were occasionally strained. Personal experience from this era will be the subject of this contribution. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Fred Hoyle was a marvellous man and a brilliant physicist who was full of ideas, many of which turned out to be correct. He was never afraid to take an opposing view, but his arguments were always linked to observations. He was a creator, having founded the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy in Cambridge in 1967 and played a major role in the construction and operation of the Anglo-Australian Telescope. As someone who was very close to Hoyle and worked with him for nearly 50 years, I can assure readers that these two books give full and fair accounts of the life of this great astrophysicist.

At IAU Symposium No. 168 the presentation was divided into two parts: I. Theoretical Foundations and II. Observational Facts and Consequences

It has been claimed that the megamaser observations of the nucleus of NGC 4258 show that a massive black hole is present in its center (Miyoshi et al. 1995, Greenhill et al. 1995). We show that the evidence of ejection of gas, radio plasma, and X-ray emitting QSOs from this nucleus all show that the ejection is coming from the center in a curving flow within a cone with angle ~40 degrees, centered at P.A. 100 degrees. This is close to the direction in which the velocities from the megamaser have been measured, so that the evidence taken as a whole suggests that the masering gas also is being ejected in the same direction at velocities +/- 900 km/sec and not rotating about a massive black hole. Thus it does not provide evidence for a black hole in the center. Subject headings: galaxies: nuclei: individual (NGC 4258) -- black holes -- masers, Comment: 7 pages, 1 Figure, LaTex using epsf.tex, submitted to Ap.J.Letters

A model for the decay of Planck particles is specified and the light elements synthesis resulting from it is described. The calculated values of 4 He/H, 7 Li/H, and 12 C/H are in close agreement with observations while those of D/H and 3 He/H are in agreement to within a factor of about 2. The model predicts a plateau under 9Be but seemingly not under 11 B. The plateau under 9 Be corresponds to a freezing temperature T9 = 0.5 whereas the calculated freezing temperature is T9 ≃ 0.62.

In July 2007, the Nuclear Astrophysics 19572007 Conference ([1][1]) commemorated the 50th anniversary of the publication of Synthesis of the elements in stars, by Burbidge, Burbidge, Fowler, and Hoyle (referred to by the shorthand B2FH) ([2][2]). In response, D. D. Clayton (Hoyle's equation