English

Interposing a Varying Gravitational Constant Between Modified Newtonian Dynamics and Weak Weyl Gravity

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2018-07-11 v1 Astrophysics of Galaxies

Abstract

The Newtonian gravitational constant GG obeys the dimensional relation [G][M][a]=[v]4[G] [M] [a] = [v]^4, where MM, aa, and vv denote mass, acceleration, and speed, respectively. Since the baryonic Tully-Fisher (BTF) and Faber-Jackson (BFJ) relations are observed facts, this relation implies that Ga=constantG\, a = {\rm constant}. This result cannot be obtained in Newtonian dynamics which cannot explain the origin of the BTF and BFJ relations. An alternative, modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) assumes that G=G0G=G_0 is constant in space and derives naturally a characteristic constant acceleration a=a0a=a_0, as well as the BTF and BFJ relations. This is overkill and it comes with a penalty: MOND cannot explain the origin of a0a_0. A solid physical resolution of this issue is that Ga1G \propto a^{-1}, which implies that in lower-acceleration environments the gravitational force is boosted relative to its Newtonian value because GG increases. This eliminates all problems related to MOND's empirical cutoff a0a_0 and yields a quantitative method for mapping the detailed variations of G(a)G(a) across each individual galaxy as well as on larger and smaller scales. On the opposite end, the large accelerations produced by G(a)G(a) appear to be linked to the weak-field limit of the fourth-order theory of conformal Weyl gravity.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1806.09778,
  title  = {Interposing a Varying Gravitational Constant Between Modified Newtonian Dynamics and Weak Weyl Gravity},
  author = {Dimitris M. Christodoulou and Demosthenes Kazanas},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1806.09778},
  year   = {2018}
}

Comments

An original letter to appear in MNRAS

R2 v1 2026-06-23T02:41:44.579Z