Solar System tests of some models of modified gravity proposed to explain galactic rotation curves without dark matter

TL;DR

This study tests modified gravity models against precise Solar System planetary precession data to assess their viability as alternatives to dark matter explanations for galactic rotation curves.

Contribution

It evaluates specific long-range modified gravity models by comparing their predicted perihelion precessions with observational data from the Solar System.

Findings

Modified gravity models tested are incompatible with observed planetary precessions.

Results challenge the viability of these models as dark matter alternatives.

Data from nearly a century of observations do not support the predicted effects.

Abstract

We consider the recently estimated corrections \Delta\dot\varpi to the Newtonian/Einsteinian secular precessions of the longitudes of perihelia \varpi of several planets of the Solar System in order to evaluate whether they are compatible with the predicted precessions due to models of long-range modified gravity put forth to account for certain features of the rotation curves of galaxies without resorting to dark matter. In particular, we consider a logarithmic-type correction and a f(R) inspired power-law modification of the Newtonian gravitational potential. The results obtained by taking the ratio of the apsidal rates for different pairs of planets show that the modifications of the Newtonian potentials examined in this paper are not compatible with the secular extra-precessions of the perihelia of the Solar System's planets estimated by E.V. Pitjeva as solve-for parameters processing almost one century of data with the latest EPM ephemerides.