5/22/22, 8:27 AM New spin on galaxy rotation saves controversial gravity theory | University of St Andrews news

Your choice
regarding
cookies on
this site
We use
cookies to
optimise Accept recommended settings I do not accept Cookie preferences
site
functionality
and give
you the best
possible
experience

New spin on galaxy rotation saves

controversial gravity theory
Thursday 19 May 2022

An international group of astronomers, led by a physicist at the University of St Andrews, has

revived an alternative gravity theory.

Headed by Dr Indranil Banik of the School of Physics and Astronomy at St Andrews, the study
revealed a high predicted rotation speed of gas in a dwarf galaxy consistent with the
previously debunked theory known as Milgromian Dynamics (MOND).

An earlier study of the rotation speed of gas in the dwarf galaxy AGC 114905 (Mancera Pina et
al, 2022) found that the gas rotated very slowly and claimed the MOND theory was dead.

Such theories are essential in understanding our universe because, according to known
physics, galaxies rotate so quickly they should fly apart. MOND, a controversial alternative to
General Relativity, the prevailing Einstein-inspired understanding of the phenomenon of
Cookie preferences

https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/new-spin-on-galaxy-rotation-saves-controversial-gravity-theory/ 1/5
5/22/22, 8:27 AM New spin on galaxy rotation saves controversial gravity theory | University of St Andrews news

gravity that requires dark matter to hold galaxies together; does not require dark matter. As
dark matter has never been detected despite decades of very sensitive searches, various
theories have been put forward to explain what holds galaxies together, and debate rages over
which is right. The very low rotation speed reported in the Mancera Pina et al study is
inconsistent with predictions in a universe governed by General Relativity with large amounts
of dark matter.

Dr Banik’s group argues that the high predicted rotation speed in the MOND gravity theory is
consistent with observations if the inclination of the galaxy is overestimated.

The rotation of stars and gas in distant galaxies

cannot be measured directly. Only the component
along the line of sight is known from precise
spectroscopic measurements. If the galaxy is
viewed almost face-on, then it would mostly rotate
within the plane of the sky. This could mislead
observers into thinking that the galaxy is actually
rotating very slowly, which would require them to
overestimate the inclination between disc and sky
planes. This inclination was estimated from how
elliptical the galaxy appears (see image).

The new study explored this crucial issue using

detailed MOND simulations of a disc galaxy similar to AGC 114905 made at the University of
Bonn by Srikanth Nagesh and instigated by Pavel Kroupa, Professor at the University of Bonn
and Charles University in Prague. The simulations show that it can appear somewhat elliptical
even when viewed face-on. This is because stars and gas in the galaxy have gravity and can
pull themselves into a somewhat non-circular shape. A similar process causes the spiral arms
in disc galaxies, features which are so common that these are often called spiral galaxies.

As a result, the galaxy could be a lot closer to face-on than the observers thought. This could
mean the galaxy is rotating much faster than reported, removing the tension with MOND.

Dr Banik, lead author on the new study, said: “Our simulations show that the inclination of AGC
114905 might be significantly less than reported, which would mean the galaxy is actually
rotating much faster than people think, in line with MOND expectations.”

Dr Hongsheng Zhao, of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews,
said: “The
Cookie very low reported rotation speed of this galaxy is inconsistent with both MOND and
preferences

https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/new-spin-on-galaxy-rotation-saves-controversial-gravity-theory/ 2/5
5/22/22, 8:27 AM New spin on galaxy rotation saves controversial gravity theory | University of St Andrews news

the standard approach with dark matter. But only MOND is able to get around this apparent
contradiction.”

The new study also argues that a similar ‘fake inclination’ effect is unlikely to arise in the
standard dark matter approach because the galaxy is dominated by the smooth dark matter
halo. The stars and gas contribute little to the gravity, so the disc is not ‘self-gravitating’.

This means it is likely to look very circular if viewed face-on, as confirmed by simulations
carried out by another group (Sellwood & Sanders, 2022). As a result, the observed ellipticity
must be due to a significant inclination between the disc and sky planes. The rotation velocity
would then be very small, implying that the galaxy has very little dark matter. It is not possible
in this framework that an isolated dwarf galaxy would have such a small amount of dark
matter given how much mass it has in stars and gas.

Pavel Kroupa, Professor at the University of Bonn and Charles University in Prague, said of the
broader context of these results: “While MOND works well in the tests conducted so far, the
standard approach causes very severe problems on all scales ranging from dwarf galaxies like
AGC 114905 all the way up to cosmological scales, as found by many independent teams.”

The paper ‘Overestimated inclinations of Milgromian disc galaxies: the case of the ultradiffuse
galaxy AGC 114905’ is published in Publication Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
and is available online.

Please ensure the paper's DOI [doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac1073] is included in all social media
posts and that Publication Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society is credited as the
source.

Image: Radio image of the neutral hydrogen gas in the galaxy AGC 114905. Its inclination is
estimated from the black ellipse, which fits the data better. Assuming the galaxy is circular
when viewed face-on, this implies a moderate inclination of 32°. However, the new study
suggests that the blue ellipse for a very low inclination could actually be correct – thus saving
the MOND theory – if the galaxy is intrinsically somewhat non-circular. The authors show that
this is possible using a dedicated MOND simulation.

Image Credit: Figure 7 of Mancera Pina et al. 2022 (MNRAS, 512, 3230)

Issued by the University of St Andrews Communications Office.

Cookie preferences

https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/new-spin-on-galaxy-rotation-saves-controversial-gravity-theory/ 3/5
5/22/22, 8:27 AM New spin on galaxy rotation saves controversial gravity theory | University of St Andrews news

Research

Related topics
gravity theory School of Physics and Astronomy

Share this story

Contact us

Press Office
Corporate Communications
University of St Andrews
D14 Bute Building
Queens Terrace
St Andrews KY16 9TS

Phone:+44 (0)1334 46 2530

Most read
Hundreds of students take part in traditional Gaudie and May Dip Research Excellence
National golf championship success for Saints University takes leading role in creation of new
Scottish think tank St Andrews ancient oak joins Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Green Canopy
Dolphins can recognise familiar animals by taste Zambian children benefit from recycled IT
Relay good piano players Scotland’s oldest university launches solar farm Scotland’s Future
Series gets underway with podcast recordings

Contact us
Press Office
Corporate Communications
University of St Andrews
Bute Medical Building
Queen’s Terrace
St Andrews
KY16 9TS

Cookie preferences

https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/new-spin-on-galaxy-rotation-saves-controversial-gravity-theory/ 4/5
5/22/22, 8:27 AM New spin on galaxy rotation saves controversial gravity theory | University of St Andrews news

Email: proffice@st-andrews.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 2530

Copyright © 2022 The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No

SC013532.

Cookie preferences

https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/new-spin-on-galaxy-rotation-saves-controversial-gravity-theory/ 5/5