Gravitational orbits in the expanding universe revisited

TL;DR

This paper revisits gravitational orbits in an expanding universe using a conformal FLRW metric, revealing that local systems like galaxies expand with the universe and can explain various astrophysical phenomena without dark matter.

Contribution

It introduces modified Newtonian equations based on the conformal FLRW metric, showing local systems expand with the universe and can account for galactic and solar system observations without dark matter.

Findings

Local systems expand with the Hubble flow under the conformal metric.

Galactic sizes grow consistently with observations and reproduce spiral patterns.

Flat rotation curves and solar system anomalies are explained without dark matter or new physics.

Abstract

Modified Newtonian equations for gravitational orbits in the expanding universe indicate that local gravitationally bounded systems like galaxies and planetary systems are unaffected by the expansion of the Universe. This result is derived under the assumption of the space expansion described by the standard FLRW metric. In this paper, an alternative metric is applied and the modified Newtonian equations are derived for the space expansion described by the conformal FLRW metric. As shown by Vavry\v{c}uk (Frontiers in Physics, 2022), this metric is advantageous, because it properly predicts the cosmic time dilation and fits the SNe Ia luminosity observations with no need to introduce dark energy. Surprisingly, the Newtonian equations based on the conformal FLRW metric behave quite differently than those based on the standard FLRW metric. In contrast to the common opinion that local systems resist the space expansion, the results for the conformal metric indicate that all local systems expand according to the Hubble flow. The evolution of the local systems with cosmic time is exemplified on numerical modelling of spiral galaxies. The size of the spiral galaxies grows consistently with observations and a typical spiral pattern is well reproduced. The theory predicts flat rotation curves without an assumption of dark matter surrounding the galaxy. The theory resolves challenges to the $\Lambda$CDM model such as the problem of faint satellite galaxies, baryonic Tully-Fisher relation or the radial acceleration relation. Furthermore, puzzles in the solar system are successfully explained such as the Pioneer anomaly, the Faint young Sun paradox, the Moon's and Titan's orbit anomalies or the presence of rivers on ancient Mars.