Disk galaxy rotation curves and dark matter distribution

Abstract

After explaining the motivation for this article, I briefly recapitulate the methods used to determine, somewhat coarsely, the rotation curves of our Milky Way Galaxy and other spiral galaxies, especially in their outer parts, and the results of applying these methods. Recent observations and models of the very inner central parts of galaxian rotation curves are only briefly described. I then present the essential Newtonian theory of (disk) galaxy rotation curves. The next two sections present two numerical simulation schemes and brief results. Application of modified Newtonian dynamics to the outer parts of disk galaxies is then described. Finally, attempts to apply Einsteinian general relativity to the dynamics are summarized. The article ends with a summary and prospects for further work in this area.

20 pp, 14 figs; based on pedagogic/didactic seminar given by DGB at Graduate College "High Energy & Particle Astrophysics" at Karlsruhe in Germany on Fri, 20th Jan 2006; submitted to Current Science on 9th Mar 2007, revised on 14th Feb 2008 - with numerical refs i/o names; proof sent on 30th Mar 2008; notes added 4th Apr 2008

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Cited by in corpus (3)

• Dark Matter as a Relativistic Inertial Effect in Einstein Canonical Gravity?
• Galactic Rotation Described with Thin-Disk Gravitational Model
• Galactic Rotation Described with Various Thin-Disk Gravitational Models