We present the results of a Mössbauer experiment in a rotating system, whose performance was stimulated by our recent findings (2008 Phys. Scr. 77 035302) and which consisted of the fact that a correct processing of Kündig's experimental data on the subject gives an appreciable deviation of a relative energy shift E/E between emission and absorption resonant lines from the standard prediction based on the relativistic dilation of time (that is, E/E = −v 2 /2c 2 to the accuracy c −2 , where v is the tangential velocity of the absorber of resonant radiation, and c is the velocity of light in vacuum). That is, the Kündig result we have corrected becomes E/E = −k(v 2 /c 2 ), with k = 0.596 ± 0.006 (instead of the result k = 0.5003 ± 0.006, originally reported by Kündig). In our own experiment, we carried out measurements for two absorbers with a substantially different isomer shift, which allowed us to make a correction of the Mössbauer data regarding vibrations in the rotor system at various rotational frequencies. As a result, we obtained the overall estimation k = 0.68 ± 0.03.

In this paper, we re-analyze the ingenious experiment by Kündig (measurement of the transverse Doppler shift by means of the Mössbauer effect) and show that a correct processing of experimental data gives a relative energy shift E/E of the absorption line different from the value of classically assumed relativistic time dilation for a rotating resonant absorber. Namely, instead of the relative energy shift E/E = −(1.0065 ± 0.011)v 2 /2c 2 reported by Kündig (v being the linear velocity of absorber and c being the light velocity in vacuum), we derive from his results E/E = −(1.192 ± 0.011)v 2 /2c 2 . We are inclined to think that the revealed deviation of E/E from relativistic prediction cannot be explained by any instrumental error and thus represents a physical effect. In particular, we assume that the energy shift of the absorption resonant line is induced not only by the standard time dilation effect, but also by some additional effect missed at the moment, and related perhaps to the fact that resonant nuclei in the rotating absorber represent a macroscopic quantum system and cannot be considered as freely moving particles.

We continue to analyze the implications of the gravitational framework of our theoretical approach, christened YARK (abbreviated from Yarman–Arik–Kholmetskii), with respect to super-massive celestial bodies. We emphasize in particular that a gravitating test particle in the presence of a ponderable mass must adhere to the law of energy conservation, which remarkably does not yield any singularity according to YARK. Even so, for a given spherically shaped extremely compact super-massive body, one can achieve a theoretical radius below which “light” of, say, the visible frequency range can indeed be trapped. Yet, such a radius comes out to be tens of times shorter than the threshold radius for black hole formation as established by the general theory of relativity (GTR). In accordance with our derivations, the minimal mass for a celestial object capable of recapturing emitted light in its environs — similar to textbook “intermediate class black holes” — is found to be about 103MS, where MS stands for the mass of the Sun. For less massive celestial objects, the crucial radius that produces a “YARK black hole” (i.e., without singularity) corresponds to a higher density than the density of a baryon; and hence, such entities cannot apparently exist in nature. Black holes allowed therefore in our approach are not related, in any case, to the singularity conceptualization of GTR. As a consequence, we are able to present a resolution to the “black hole information paradox”. The findings of YARK will be discussed hereinafter with regards to the foundations of observational cosmology.

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