The presence of interstellar turbulence could explain the velocity flattening in galaxies

TL;DR

This paper suggests that turbulence in the interstellar medium may cause the observed flattening of galaxy rotation curves, based on analysis of vortices and cyclone data.

Contribution

It introduces the idea that interstellar turbulence could explain velocity flattening in galaxies, extending previous vortex similarity work to astrophysical phenomena.

Findings

Turbulence causes uplift and flattening of tangential velocity in vortices.

Similarity in vortex profiles helps identify turbulence effects.

Interstellar turbulence may produce galaxy rotation curve flattening.

Abstract

Expanding our previous work on turbulent whirls [1] we have uncovered a similarity within the similarity shared by intense vortices. Using the new information we compress the tangential velocity profiles of a diverse set of vortices into one and thus identify those that belong to the same genus. Examining the Laser Doppler Anemometer (LDA) results of mechanically produced vortices and radar data of several tropical cyclones, we find that the uplift and flattening effect of tangential velocity is a consequence of turbulence. Reasoning by analogy we conclude that turbulence in the interstellar medium could indeed introduce a flattening effect in the galactic rotation curves.