The "Graviton Picture": a Bohr Model for Gravitation on Galactic Scales?

TL;DR

This paper proposes a graviton-based model that naturally reproduces the empirical mass discrepancy-acceleration relation observed in galactic dynamics, offering a simple alternative to MOND.

Contribution

It introduces a 'graviton picture' model that derives the MOND-like relation from first principles, linking virtual gravitons to galactic gravitational behavior.

Findings

The model reproduces the 'simple mu' function of MOND.

It suggests gravity may be mediated by massive virtual particles.

The approach offers a new conceptual framework for galactic gravitation.

Abstract

Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) provides a successful description of stellar and galactic dynamics on almost all astronomical scales. A key feature of MOND is the transition function from Newtonian to modified dynamics which corresponds to the empirical mass discrepancy--acceleration (MDA) relation. However, the functional form of the MDA relation does not follow from theory in a straightforward manner; in general, empirical MDA relations are inserted ad hoc into analyses of stellar dynamics. I revisit the possibility of gravity being mediated by massive virtual particles, gravitons. Under certain reasonable assumptions, the resulting "graviton picture" implies a MDA relation that is equivalent to the - empirical - "simple mu" function of MOND which is in very good agreement with observations. I conclude that the "graviton picture" offers a simple description of gravitation on galactic scales, potentially playing a role for gravitation analogous to the role played by Bohr's model for atomic physics.