Radial Acceleration Relation in Rotationally Supported Galaxies

Authors

Stacy S. McGaugh, Case Western Reserve UniversityFollow
Federico Lelli, Case Western Reserve University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-9-2016

Abstract

We report a correlation between the radial acceleration traced by rotation curves and that predicted by the observed distribution of baryons. The same relation is followed by 2693 points in 153 galaxies with very different morphologies, masses, sizes, and gas fractions. The correlation persists even when dark matter dominates. Consequently, the dark matter contribution is fully specified by that of the baryons. The observed scatter is small and largely dominated by observational uncertainties. This radial acceleration relation is tantamount to a natural law for rotating galaxies.

Keywords

alternative gravity theories, dark matter, experimental studies of gravity, formation & evolution of stars & galaxies, optical, UV, & IR astronomy, particle dark matter, radio, microwave, & sub-mm astronomy

Publication Title

Physical Review Letters

Grant

NNX13AH32G

Rights

© American Physical Society. Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.

Recommended Citation

McGaugh, Stacy S., Federico Lelli, and James M. Schombert. "Radial acceleration relation in rotationally supported galaxies." Phys. Rev. Lett., 117, no. 20 (2016): 201101.