Galactic rotation curves, the baryon-to-dark-halo-mass relation and space-time scale invariance

TL;DR

This paper discusses how space-time scale invariance (SID) and Milgromian dynamics better explain galactic rotation curves and mass relations than standard dark matter models, aligning with observations and challenging existing simulations.

Contribution

It demonstrates that SID predicts galaxy mass relations consistent with observations, unlike traditional dark matter models, and introduces the external field effect as an empirical evidence.

Findings

SID accurately predicts the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation.

SID's mass discrepancy-acceleration correlation matches observations.

Dark matter simulations do not reproduce observed galaxy rotation curves.

Abstract

Low-acceleration space-time scale invariant dynamics (SID, Milgrom 2009a) predicts two fundamental correlations known from observational galactic dynamics: the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation (BTFR) and a correlation between the observed mass discrepancy and acceleration (MDA) in the low acceleration regime for disc galaxies. SID corresponds to the deep MOdified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) limit. The MDA data emerging in cold/warm dark matter (C/WDM) cosmological simulations disagree significantly with the tight MDA correlation of the observed galaxies. Therefore, the most modern simulated disc galaxies, which are delicately selected to have a quiet merging history in a standard dark-matter-cosmological model, still do not represent the correct rotation curves. Also, the observed tight correlation contradicts the postulated stochastic formation of galaxies in low-mass DM halos. Moreover, we find that SID predicts a baryonic to apparent virial halo (dark matter) mass relation which agrees well with the correlation deduced observationally assuming Newtonian dynamics to be valid, while the baryonic to halo mass relation predicted from CDM models does not. The distribution of the observed ratios of dark-matter halo masses to baryonic masses may be empirical evidence for the external field effect, which is predicted in SID as a consequence of the forces acting between two galaxies depending on the position and mass of a third galaxy. Applying the external field effect, we predict the masses of galaxies in the proximity of the dwarf galaxies in the Miller et al. sample. Classical non-relativistic gravitational dynamics is thus best described as being Milgromian, rather than Newtonian.