Observations in the Einstein-De Sitter cosmology: Dust statistics and limits of apparent homogeneity

The two-point correlation function for the dust distribution in the unperturbed Einstein-de Sitter cosmological model is studied along the past light cone. It was found that this function seems unable to represent the theoretical distribution of dust along the backward null cone of this unperturbed model, which has already been determined in a previous paper as being apparently inhomogeneous at ranges usually considered as local. Such result was revisited in order to determine more precisely the quantitative limits where, in theory, we can detect apparent homogeneity, and it was found that this may only happen up to $z \sim 10^{-2}$. A different statistical analysis proposed by Pietronero is used, and it appears to be able to represent more accurately the theoretical distribution of dust in this cosmology. In the light of these results, it is argued that the usual practice of disregarding relativistic effects in studies of distribution of galaxies, by considering them as being placed on local regions, seems to be valid only on much closer scales than it is commonly believed. In the Einstein-de Sitter cosmology with $H_0=75 km s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}$, that may only happen in redshifts as low as $z \approx 0.04$, which means that the local approximation seems to be valid up to zeroth order of approximation only. As at present there are many redshift surveys which have already probed at deeper ranges, it seems that in order to compare the Friedmann models with observations we have to be very careful when ignoring the past light cone problem in observational cosmology, either in theoretical calculations or in data analysis, due to relativistic effects which produce observable inhomogeneity even in spatially homogeneous cosmological models.