New MOND Papers: Jacob Bekenstein’s TeVeS Breakthrough

In summary, MOND (for modified Newtonian Dynamics) is a proposed alternative to the dark matter theory, which suggests that the visible matter distribution in a galaxy or cluster of galaxies alone determines its dynamics. Recently, there have been major breakthroughs in the theory, with the development of a more sophisticated version called TeVeS (Tensor-Vector-Scalar). This new theory reconciles general relativity and MOND, making it a viable contender in the scientific community. Several recent papers have been published on the topic, including studies on tidal streams, globular clusters, and a tensor-vector-scalar framework for modified dynamics and cosmic dark matter. Overall, these papers provide evidence in support of MOND, but further tests and observations are needed for
  • #1
ohwilleke
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MOND (for modified Newtonian Dynamics) is a proposed alternative to the dark matter theory used to explain galatic dynamics that don't follow general relativity if only observed matter is taken into account. Jacob Bekenstein (whose recent paper is first listed here), in 2004, made a major breakthrough in the theory by proposing a more sophisticated version called TeVeS (for Tensor-Vector-Scalar) that reconciles general relativity and MOND. (Thanks to the MOND pages http://www.astro.umd.edu/~ssm/mond/litsub.html for collecting the scientific literature in the field).

There has been a fair amount of publishing in the field recently, and here are a collection of recent papers on the topic:

An alternative to the dark matter paradigm: relativistic MOND gravitation
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0412652
MOND, invented by Milgrom, is a phenomenological scheme whose basic premise is that the visible matter distribution in a galaxy or cluster of galaxies alone determines its dynamics. MOND fits many observations surprisingly well. Could it be that there is no dark matter in these systems and we witness rather a violation of Newton's universal gravity law ? If so, Einstein's general relativity would also be violated. For long conceptual problems have prevented construction of a consistent relativistic substitute which does not obviously run afoul of the facts. Here I sketch TeVeS, a tensor-vector-scalar field theory which seems to fit the bill: it has no obvious conceptual problems and has a MOND and Newtonian limits under the proper circumstances. It also passes the elementary solar system tests of gravity theory.

Tidal streams in a MOND potential: constraints from Sagittarius
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0501273

We compare orbits in a thin axisymmetric disc potential in MOND to those in a thin disc plus near-spherical dark matter halo predicted by a $\Lambda$CDM cosmology. Remarkably, the amount of orbital precession in MOND is nearly identical to that which occurs in a a CDM Galactic halo with flattening q=0.95, consistent with recent constraints from the Sagittarius stream. Since very flattened mass distributions in MOND produce rounder potentials than in standard Newtonian mechanics, we show that it will be very difficult to use the tidal debris from streams to distinguish between a MOND galaxy and a standard CDM galaxy with a mildly oblate halo.

The End of the Dark Ages in MOND
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0412614

We study the evolution of a spherically symmetric density perturbation in the Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) model applied to the net acceleration over Hubble flow. The background cosmological model is a $\Lambda$-dominated, low-$\Omega_b$ Friedmann model with no Cold Dark Matter. We include thermal processes and non-equilibrium chemical evolution of the collapsing gas. We find that under these assumptions the first low-mass objects ($M \le 3\times 10^4 M_{\odot}$) may collapse already for $z\sim 30$, which is in quite good agreement with the recent WMAP results. A lower value of $a_0$ would lead to much slower collapse of such objects.

Using distant globular clusters as a test for gravitational theories
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0501272

We propose to determine the stellar velocity dispersions of globular clusters in the outer halo of the Milky Way in order to decide whether the dynamics of the universe on large scales is governed by dark matter or modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND). We show that for a number of galactic globular clusters, both the internal and the external accelerations are significantly below the critical acceleration parameter $a_0$ of MOND. This leads to velocity dispersions in case of MOND which exceed their Newtonian counterparts by up to a factor of 3, providing a stringent test for MOND. Alternatively, in case high velocity dispersions are found, these would provide the first evidence that globular clusters are dark matter dominated.

A tensor-vector-scalar framework for modified dynamics and cosmic dark matter
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0502222

I describe a tensor-vector-scalar theory that reconciles the galaxy scale success of modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) with the cosmological scale evidence for CDM. The theory provides a cosmological basis for MOND in the sense that the predicted phenomenology only arises in a cosmological background. The theory contains an evolving effective potential, and scalar field oscillations in this potential comprise the cold dark matter; the de Broglie wavelength of these soft bosons, however, is sufficiently large that they cannot accumulate in galaxies. The theory predicts, inevitably, a constant anomalous acceleration in the outer solar system which, depending upon the choice of parameters, can be consistent with that detected by the Pioneer spacecraft s.
 
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  • #2
Ohwilleke,
I'm so glad to see someone keeping a watch out for new MOND papers and flagging them for us at PF. It needs to be done. This is a lively area!
thanks
 
  • #3
astro-ph/0502312 A Dark Hydrogen Cloud in the Virgo Cluster.
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0502312
Not a MOND paper per se, but an important observational test.
Does MOND pass or not?
I'm not sure but I think so, because both the baryonic mass and the rotation rate are comparable to spirals which MOND is consistent with.
If something like this were found with much less baryonic mass, it would refute MOND.

Further comments: I hope the mass of this dark cloud will also be tested by weak lensing soon.
Also, the failure to find totally dark halos via weak lensing is a "weakness" of the dark matter theory.
Can anyone do a more precise MONDian analysis of this paper?

Jim Graber
 
  • #4
Thanks for those links ohwilleke. TeVeS is the most important treatise on MOND to date - at least in my mind. Giving it a theoretical foothold elevates it from a curiosity to a contender. Permit me to add one more to your list. It's a nice, non-technical overview.

Dark Matter on Galactic Scales (or the Lack Thereof)
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0412059
 

1. What is TeVeS and how does it relate to MOND?

TeVeS (Tensor-vector-scalar) is a modified theory of gravity proposed by Jacob Bekenstein that attempts to explain the observed behavior of galaxies without the need for dark matter. It is based on the framework of Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND), which suggests that the laws of gravity behave differently at large distances than predicted by Newton's laws.

2. What is the significance of Jacob Bekenstein's TeVeS breakthrough?

Bekenstein's TeVeS breakthrough is significant because it provides a theoretical framework that can potentially explain the observed phenomena of galaxies without the need for dark matter. This has been a long-standing problem in astrophysics and cosmology, and if TeVeS is proven to be correct, it could revolutionize our understanding of gravity and the structure of the universe.

3. How does TeVeS differ from other theories of gravity?

TeVeS differs from other theories of gravity, such as General Relativity, in that it introduces an additional scalar field that modifies the laws of gravity at large distances. This modification is intended to explain the observed behavior of galaxies without the need for dark matter.

4. What evidence supports the validity of TeVeS?

So far, the evidence for TeVeS is based on its ability to explain the observed rotation curves of galaxies without the need for dark matter. This has been tested on a variety of galaxies and has shown promising results. However, more research and observations are needed to fully validate the theory.

5. How does TeVeS impact our understanding of the universe?

If TeVeS is proven to be correct, it would significantly impact our understanding of the universe by providing an alternative explanation for the observed behavior of galaxies. It could also potentially challenge the existence of dark matter, which is a widely accepted concept in modern astrophysics and cosmology.

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