Dwarf galaxy rotation curves and the core problem of dark matter haloes

The standard cold dark matter (CDM) model has recently been challenged by the claim that dwarf galaxies have dark matter haloes with constant-density cores, whereas CDM predicts haloes with steeply cusped density distributions. Consequently, numerous alternative dark matter candidates have recently been proposed. In this paper we scrutinize the observational evidence for the incongruity between dwarf galaxies and the CDM model. To this end, we analyse the rotation curves of 20 late-type dwarf galaxies studied by Swaters. Taking the effects of beam smearing and adiabatic contraction into account, we fit mass models to these rotation curves with dark matter haloes with different cusp slopes, ranging from constant-density cores to r ⁻² cusps. Even though the effects of beam smearing are small for these data, the uncertainties in the stellar mass-to-light ratio and the limited spatial sampling of the halo's density distribution hamper a unique mass decomposition. Consequently, the rotation curves in our sample cannot be used to discriminate between dark haloes with constant-density cores and r ⁻¹ cusps. We show that the dwarf galaxies analysed here are consistent with CDM haloes in a ΛCDM cosmology, and that there is thus no need to abandon the idea that dark matter is cold and collisionless. However, the data are also consistent with any alternative dark matter model that produces dark matter haloes with central cusps less steep than r ^−1.5. In fact, we argue that based on existing H  i rotation curves alone, at best weak limits can be obtained on cosmological parameters and/or the nature of the dark matter. In order to make progress, rotation curves with higher spatial resolution and independent measurements of the mass-to-light ratio of the disc are required.     

A new scalar tensor theory for gravity and the flat rotation curves of spiral galaxies

In this paper we reproduce flat rotation curves of spiral galaxies by discussing a scalar tensor theory of gravity which includes the Higgs field as scalar field. The galaxy density distribution is assumed to be homogeneous or polytropic and in the galaxy core there exists a large concentrated mass.     

Flat rotation curves according to the fragmentation/shear flow model of galaxy formation

Initial conditions are derived from the fragmentation/shear flow model of galaxy formation and are used as input to the viscous action presumed to begin as soon as a galactic disk forms. A simple differential equation is found to describe the turbulent viscous evolution of a flat disk. Solutions to this equation produce rotation curves that closely resemble those observed in spiral and elliptical galaxies. For spirals, by using the mass distributions derived from the rotation curves and from Seiden's theory of star formation, exponential luminosity profiles are produced.Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the United States Department of Energy under contract W-7405-ENG-36.     

Slow rotation of radiating viscous-fluid Universe coupled with scalar field

One of the models which have stable limit cycles but are very close to the transition of the type I intermittency is examined in some detail. The work integrals are calculated for nonlinear oscillations with various amplitudes. The model reaches its limit cycle by saturation of the driving forces due to the ionized helium (He⁺) ionization. By increasing amplitudes damping becomes superior to the driving forces and so the limit cycle is stable. However, with even larger amplitudes the model becomes pulsational unstable indicating a large positive contribution to the work integral at rather deep interior. Strong luminosity drops are observed in this region during contraction phase. It is shown that the drops come from the neutral helium and hydrogen (He and H) ionization zones moved down to the deep interior at contraction phase with increasing amplitudes. A shock wave is generated by the radiation pressure at the ionization zones and propagates outwards at the phase. The zone between the ionization zones and the detached shock front is compressed locally. Thus, subsequent contraction leads the pressure at the zone becomes very high, causing remarkable enhancement of the opacities. Thus the driving becomes to work efficiently. This is a main driving force with finite amplitudes beyond the limit cycle, and makes the model to have an unstable fixed point beyond it.     

Radiating two-fluid universe coupled with rotation interacting with a scalar field

The solution of three new interesting studies,a rotating anisotropic twofluid universe coupled with radiation and a scalar field,are studied here,where the anisotropic pressure is generated by the presence of two non-interacting perfect fluids which are in relative motion with respect to each other.In this problem,special discussion is made of the physically interesting class of models in which one fluid is a perfect comoving radiative fluid which is taken to model the cosmic microwave background and the se...     

Peculiar shapes of asteroids: Implications for light curves and periods of rotation

This paper presents some simple geometrical models of asteroids with theoretical light curves similar to the observed ones. In some cases the results suggest rotation periods to be double those one can obtain adopting two- or three-axial ellipsoids as models.A possible model, not in terms of a binary system, for asteroids with light curves like those of eclipsing binary stars, is also given.It should be stressed that the models studied in this paper are probably not very similar to real asteroids, but the principal conclusions should not be changed when more sophisticated models are considered.The work is to be a starting point for future researches on laboratory models of asteroids, in order to define, in a quantitative way, how the light curves are affected by the surface roughness and/or the large scale irregularities of the shape of an asteroid.     

A theory of galactic mass and rotation curves

The goal of this paper is to account for the complete observed rotation curves of disk galaxies without dark matter. To attain that goal, use is made of a conservation law from stability theory of linear waves, leading to a vector-based theory of gravitation. In the theory, galactic centers are sites of strong gravitational fields. The new theory predicts extra matter at the center of disk galaxies, which is well-known to be consistent with intergalactic dynamics. For given disk radiusr ₀ and edge tangential speedv, the greater the deviation of a rotation curve from linear (solid disk rotation), the greater the mass of the galaxy as a multiple of Newtonian massr ₀v²/G, up to a factor of about 1000. In an approximate calculation it turns out that disk density (r) (in kg m^–2) is proportional to 1/r for typical rotation curves. Rotation is characterized by two constants which in turn are determined by the edge speed and mass distribution. Not just any curve shape can be so obtained; in fact, the theoretically possible curves correspond to observed curves.     

Magnetic field rotation at high solar latitudes

Measurements of the rotation rate of polar magnetic features during 1974–76 lead to a significantly slower rotation rate than that found earlier for polar faculae in 1951–54. Similarly, the rotation rate of these features is slower than the Doppler-determined rate at polar latitudes or the rotation rate of polar filaments. It is suggested that the strong latitude rotation gradient in the subsurface magnetic flux tubes which is implied by these results may presage a very active solar maximum for cycle 21.     

A tidal hypothesis about the origin of planetary rotation

We assume that the solar tidal action on accreting protoplanets forced them to corotation. If this is true, and assuming a subsequent conservation of spin angular momentum, we can easily get a rough explanation of: (1) the actual rotation periods of the planets, (2) the trend toward small inclination angles for the rotation axes, (3) the existence of a relation between rotational angular momenta and planetary masses similar to the empirical ones due to McDonald (1964). Hartmann and Larson (1967) and Fish (1967).     

The origin of scaling in the galaxy distribution

I present an analytic model for non‐linear clustering of the luminous (baryonic) material in a universe in which the gravitational field is dominated by dark matter. The model is based on a two-component generalization of the adhesion approximation in which the gravitational potential of the dark component is determined by the standard Zel'dovich approximation or one of its variants, or by an N ‐body simulation. The baryonic matter flow is dissipative and is driven by this dark matter gravitational potential. The velocity potential of the matter is described by a generalization of the Burgers equation: the random heat equation ('RH equation') with a spatially correlated Gaussian driving potential.
The properties of the RH equation are well understood: it is closely related to the equation for the Anderson model and to Brownian motion in a random potential: the solution can be expressed in terms of path integrals. Using this it is possible to derive the scaling properties of the solution and, in particular, those of the resultant velocity field. Even though the flow is non‐linear, the velocity field remains Gaussian and inherits its scaling properties from the gravitational potential. This provides an underlying dynamical reason why the density field in the baryonic component is lognormally distributed and manifests multifractal scaling.
By explicitly putting dark and luminous matter on different footings, the model provides an improved framework for considering the growth of large‐scale cosmic structure. It provides a solution for the velocity potential of the baryonic component in closed form (albeit a path integral) from which the statistical properties of the baryonic flow can be derived.     

The hierarchical origin of galaxy morphologies

We report first results from a series of N-body/gasdynamical simulations designed to study the origin of galaxy morphologies in a cold dark matter-dominated universe. The simulations include star formation and feedback and have numerical resolution sufficiently high to allow for a direct investigation of the morphology of simulated galaxies. We find, in agreement with previous theoretical work, that the presence of the main morphological components of galaxies—disks, spheroids, bars—is regulated by the mode of gas accretion and intimately linked to discrete accretion events. In the case we present, disks arise from the smooth deposition of cooled gas at the center of dark halos, spheroids result from the stirring of preexisting disks during mergers, and bars are triggered by tides generated by satellites. This demonstrates that morphology is a transient phenomenon within the lifetime of a galaxy and that the Hubble sequence reflects the varied accretion histories of galaxies in hierarchical formation scenarios. In particular, we demonstrate directly that disk/bulge systems can be built and rebuilt by the smooth accretion of gas onto the remnant of a major merger and that the present-day remnants of late dissipative mergers between disks are spheroidal stellar systems with structure resembling that of field ellipticals. The perplexing variety of galaxy morphologies is thus highly suggestive of—and may actually even demand—a universe where structures have evolved hierarchically.     

Shedding light on the galaxy luminosity function

From as early as the 1930s, astronomers have tried to quantify the statistical nature of the evolution and large-scale structure of galaxies by studying their luminosity distribution as a function of redshift—known as the galaxy luminosity function (LF). Accurately constructing the LF remains a popular and yet tricky pursuit in modern observational cosmology where the presence of observational selection effects due to e.g. detection thresholds in apparent magnitude, colour, surface brightness or some combination thereof can render any given galaxy survey incomplete and thus introduce bias into the LF.     

The kinematic effects on the rotation curve of a galaxy

In this paper, it is pointed out that if the spiral galaxy revolves about some common centre as a whole, the rotation curve will be changed by the kinematic effects. The common centre could be the centre of supercluster or the centre of dark matter and luminous matter.The kinematic effects on rotation curve are calculated. The additional velocity caused by revolving about the common centre is obtained. In case the direction of revolution is opposite (or consistent) to the direction of rotation, then in the outer region of nucleus, a flat rotation curve could be changed to a constant negative (or postive) gradient. The 44 rotation curves of Sb and Sc galaxies are expressed by means of linear least-squares fit, from which the period of revolving and the ratio of tidal force to self-gravitating force are calculated for every galaxy in extreme cases. The periods for most galaxies are in the reasonable region about 10⁹ years. The tidal force is always less than gravitating force, so the system could be maintained in such a revolving cases. At last, rotation curves in all directions of disk are suggested to pick out the kinematic effects from pure rotation.Work supported by the National Science Foundation of China, under Grant No. 1860610.     

A SAURON look at galaxy bulges

Kinematic and population studies show that bulges are generally rotationally flattened systems similar to lowluminosity ellipticals. However, observations with state‐of‐the‐art integral field spectrographs, such as SAURON, indicate that the situation is much more complex, and allow us to investigate phenomena such as triaxiality, kinematic decoupling and population substructure, and to study their connection to current formation and evolution scenarios for bulges of early‐type galaxies. We present the examples of two S0 bulges from galaxies in our sample of nearby galaxies: one that shows all the properties expected from classical bulges (NGC5866), and another case that presents kinematic features appropriate for barred disk galaxies (NGC7332). (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Precessing jets interacting with interstellar material as the origin for the light curves of gamma-ray bursts

We present an internal shock model with external characteristics for explaining the complicated light curves of gamma-ray bursts. Shocks produce gamma-rays in the interaction between a precessing beam of relativistic particles and the interstellar medium. Each time the particle beam passes the same line of sight with the observer the interstellar medium is pushed outward. Subsequent interactions between the medium and the beam are delayed by the extra distance to be travelled for the particles before the shock can form. This results in a natural retardation and leads to an intrinsic asymmetry in the light curves produced for gamma-ray bursts. In addition, we account for the cooling of the electron–proton plasma in the shocked region, which gives rise to an exponential decay in the gamma-ray flux. The combination of these effects and the precessing jet of ultrarelativistic particles produces light curves that can be directly compared with observed gamma-ray burst light curves. We illustrate the model by fitting a number of observed gamma-ray bursts that are difficult to explain with only a precessing jet. We develop a genetic algorithm to fit several observed gamma-ray bursts with remarkable accuracy. We find that for different bursts the observed fluence, assuming isotropic emission, easily varies over four orders of magnitude from the energy generated intrinsically.