The Mixed Rotational Reference Frame effect (MiRRFe) is a hypothesis that the orbital speeds of stars in spiral galaxies are exactly at their correct Keplerian values with respect to a Machian reference frame related to both the local galaxy and the Universe at large. It provides an alternative to the dark matter hypothesis. A test of the MiRRFe hypothesis using the shapes of supernovae remnant shells has been suggested in an earlier paper. This paper suggests ten more tests of the MiRRFe hypothesis.
Keywords: Dark matter, flat rotation curve problem, spiral galaxies, Mixed Rotational Reference Frame effect (MiRRFe), Mach’s Principle, Q theory.
Introduction
The discovery in the late 1960’s that stars in spiral galaxies are orbiting at speeds up to an order of magnitude faster than is consistent with Newtonian-Keplerian celestial mechanics quickly led to a prediction that there must be an enormous amount of hitherto unknown cold dark matter dominating the material Universe. Unfortunately, after fifty years of searching for this supposedly omnipresent matter none has been found and the list of potential candidates is all but exhausted. The main alternative hypothesis involves modifying Newtonian dynamics with terms that only appear in very weak fields.
The first paper in this series (Van de Vusse, 2024) presents a third suggestion. It suggests that that the orbital speeds of stars in spiral galaxies are actually at their correct Keplerian values with respect to a Machian reference frame related to both the local galaxy and the Universe at large. It calls this the Mixed Rotational Reference Frame effect (MiRRFe). No dark matter is needed at all.
Any hypothesis, and especially a novel one such as this, needs to satisfy three tests. It must explain some problems in a satisfactory manner, it must be compatible with all relevant results from reliable experiments and it should be able to make some testable predictions. (Actually even this is not enough. Unless new theories can attract some resolute champions they risk being ignored altogether, or shot down because they are initially imperfect).
Supernovae explosions might be able to provide evidence of MiRRFe in the morphology of their remnants shells, see previous essay (Van de Vusse, 2024). MiRRFe has many other effects and consequences that are also open to experimental consideration.
Some more ideas for testing the (MiRRFe) hypothesis
1. Virial Theorem: The virial theorem in dynamics implies that the total kinetic energy of an n-body system should be half of its total energy. An excess of kinetic energy tends to become an increase in overall potential energy and vice versa. Applied to galaxies this suggests that their total kinetic energy should be half of their total gravitational binding energy. Observationally, the total kinetic energy appears to be much greater than this.
There are several Universities with first class facilities for computational astronomy and talented people using them. It should be fairly easy to plug in kinetic energies using velocities estimated from the Keplerian velocity curve instead of apparent velocities from redshift data, and to leave out any kinetic energy from dark matter. If this produces a total kinetic energy close to the virial theorem prediction then that would be support for MiRRFe.
2. Winding Problem: The winding problem is that since matter nearer to the centre of a spiral galaxy rotates faster than the matter at the edge of the galaxy, the arms would become indistinguishable from the rest of the galaxy after only a few orbits. However, spiral arms in spiral galaxies are clearly quite persistent. MiRRFe may provide a partial remedy to this issue. It suggests that, viewed in the correct reference frame, the stars in the outer parts of the arms are actually rotating at much lower angular velocities (consistent with Kepler’s Law in the correct reference frame) than apparent. The drag in the correct reference frames makes up the rest of their apparent angular velocities.
3. Relationship between Luminosity and Rotational Velocity: The Tully–Fisher relationship is derived from observations on a statistical basis and shows that for spiral galaxies the rotational velocity is well related to their total luminosity. A consistent way to predict the rotational velocity of a spiral galaxy is to measure its bolometric luminosity and then read its rotation rate from its location on the Tully–Fisher diagram. Conversely, knowing the rotational velocity of a spiral galaxy gives its luminosity. Thus the magnitude of the galaxy rotation is related to the galaxy’s visible mass. However, there is not yet any straightforward explanation as to exactly how and why the observed scaling relationship exists.
MiRRFe may be able to contribute to such an explanation. Higher luminosity correlates to greater stellar mass. Greater stellar mass correlates to a higher frame dragging effect and hence faster apparent rotation speeds.
4. The cuspy halo problem: The cuspy halo problem is that cold dark matter (CDM) simulation models predict halos that have a core which too dense, or have an inner profile that is too steep, compared to calculations of the dark matter densities required by the CDM hypothesis as applied to low mass galaxies.
Nearly all simulations form dark matter halos which have “cuspy” dark matter distributions, with density increasing steeply at small radii, while the rotation curves of most observed dwarf galaxies suggest that they would need to have a flat central dark matter density profile. MiRRFe does not require CDM and hence does not suffer from this problem.
5. Cosmological models: A criticism of the Modifed Newtonian Dynamics hypothesis (MOND) is that it has not proved to be helpful in constructing full cosmological models of the Universe. MiRRFe does not modify classical dynamics and MiRRFe itself disappears outside of galaxies.
(However, there is an extension of the MiRRFe hypothesis that would have major implications for cosmology. It is called Q theory and is introduced in later essays, see (Van de Vusse, 2024). The general idea is that inertia arises from an interaction between matter and some sort of universal background. There is a correspondence between inertia and the “fixed stars” but not because of any mysterious magical action-at-a-distance, but because the local matter and the distant matter are embedded in the same field. Similar ideas have been tried many times before. The essays suggests a protocol in which all the relevant experimental evidence is accumulated in a logical framework before speculating about the exact nature of Q. Avoid inappropriate analogies and let Nature do the talking.)
6. Computational Tests: Powerful computers and simulation models have been used for several decades to model the evolution of galaxies in an attempt to replicate their observed features. A relatively easy test for MiRRFe is to use it in such models in place of cold dark matter and examine whether reasonable outcomes can be achieved.
MiRRFe predicts substantive effects, e.g. that the angular momentum of spiral galaxies is considerably less than it seems to be. So its consequences should stand out noticeably.
Note that MiRRFe might only emerge as the galaxy emerges. (A variant on the MIRRFe idea is that galaxies are formed by matter being captured by whirlpools or pressure waves in spacetime originating from the Big Bang. Perhaps that could be modeled as well.)
In addition to the main types of spiral galaxies there are thousands of non-standard spiral galaxies, only some of which have been studied in detail with high-resolution telescopes. MiRRFe may or may not prove useful in helping to understand how their peculiarities came about.
7. Dynamics of the Core: If the MiRRFe hypothesis is valid it has some predictions for stars inside the core. The cloud of stars forming the core would feel itself to be rotating on account of MiRRFe and would either rotate in sympathy with the aggregate effect from the rest of the galaxy, or would feel extra inertial effects trying to pull it apart. If the later case applies then this might be help to stop the cloud from collapsing.
8. Test Experiments: In principle, observers could resort to direct experimental determinations based in our own Milky Way:
- Incredibly sensitive instruments based on Foucault pendulum and Sagnac interferometer gyroscope ideas might be able to determine the best reference frame for our Sun and its solar system. Is it the distant galaxies, the local galaxy or something in between?
- The effect comes into play for a satellite launched at very high speed towards the rim of the Milky Way. Such satellite would try to conserve its angular momentum. Normally this would look like a Coriolis curve away from the direction of rotation. However, if the correct local reference frame for rotational effects is also moving then the path of the satellite would be very slightly different.
- The opposite would happen for the path of a satellite launched at very high speed towards the core of the Milky Way.
9. Comets: A comet orbiting a star (e.g. our Sun) with a long elliptical orbit in the plane of the galactic disc would likely demonstrate a MiRRFe through an anomaly in the precession of its perihelion.
10. Proof by Exception – No Cold Dark Matter: MiRRFe has been suggested as an alternative to the hypothesis that cold dark matter makes up 27% of the Universe and over half of the mass of typical spiral galaxies, including the Milky Way. It follows that if Cold Dark Matter is ever detected in an unambiguous physical experiment or observation, then there less need for MiRRFe or any other alternative ideas. Conversely, the longer that time goes on without Cold Dark Matter being conclusively detected and identified then the greater the need for a plausible alternative.
Light Travel Time Effect?
There is an extension of the MiRRFe hypothesis suggesting that there might be some effects on the path of light traversing the disc of spiral galaxies.
It is already well established that a massive system of matter bound by gravity can bend the path of light through gravitational lensing in accord with General Relativity. Associated with this is an increase in the travel time of the light known as the Shapiro effect. Sometimes the light reaching our telescopes has been bent around both sides of an intervening massive object, thus creating a double image of the distant source. In cases where the source and the intervening object line up perfectly the light from the distant source can even appear as a bright ring around the intervening object. This is called an Einstein ring.
This particular extension of the MiRRFe hypothesis suggests that the dragging of the local inertial reference frame in the direction of galactic rotation might also affect the time of travel of light in that direction. It suggests light will take longer to cross through and across a spiral galaxy disc in the retrograde direction than an equivalent path in the pro-grade direction. A bit like the Fizeau experiment but on a galactic scale and involving whatever medium the light encounters within the galactic disc.
A way to check for this is to watch out for new supernovae in distant galaxies or anything that creates a distinct event in time for an existing bright sources, such as a quasar or pulsar eclipsed momentarily by an intervening star. If such an event is seen lensed through one side of an intervening galactic disc, then watch and wait for it to appear on the other side as well. The Shapiro delay could takes months or even a year but should be able to be calculated in advance. If the outcome is not as expected and this happens in multiple cases then it would provide some support for an “optical fly-by effect”.
Summary
The Mixed Rotational Reference Frame effect (MiRRFe) hypothesis is an alternative to the Dark Matter and MOND hypotheses for the dynamics of spiral galaxies. It is simple in concept but would offer profound insights if true. Fortunately it is easy to test and this paper has offered ten suggestions, some of which could achieved with data that exists already.
Consider this to be an invitation … if you have access to the data, experience in applying it, and an open mind about what the results might show then please perform some of the tests, or other tests to the same effect, or at least tell someone who might be interested in doing so.
References
Van de Vusse, Sjoerd B.A., 2024, Some ideas and experiments for issues affecting modern physics, https://hereticalphysics.com.au
Author contact: SBAvan@utas.edu.au
Author’s location: Hobart, Australia
