Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-22-2023
Abstract
A new class of Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) that lie beyond Neptune with semimajor axes greater than 250 astronomical units show orbital anomalies that have been interpreted as evidence for an undiscovered ninth planet. We show that a modified gravity theory known as modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) provides an alternative explanation for the anomalies using the well-established secular approximation. We predict that the major axes of the orbits will be aligned with the direction toward the Galactic center and that the orbits cluster in phase space, in agreement with observations of KBOs from the new class. Thus, MOND, which can explain galactic rotation without invoking dark matter, might also be observable in the outer solar system.
Keywords
modified newtonian dynamics, kuiper belt
Language
English
Publication Title
Astronomical Journal
Rights
© 2023. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society. This is an Open Access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Katherine Brown and Harsh Mathur 2023 AJ 166 168
Manuscript Version
Final Publisher Version