The MOND hypothesis offers an alternative explanation to the traditional theory of gravity, suggesting that deviations from the expected behavior of gravity at small accelerations could explain phenomena such as the rotation of galaxies without the involvement of dark matter. Despite its theoretical promise, MOND is still unproven.

details of the study

Differentiating their work from previous studies, study leader Professor Chae Gyuhyun and his team focused on calculating the gravitational accelerations experienced by binary star systems as a function of their distance or orbital period. They used the reverse projection Monte Carlo transform of the projection motions observed in three-dimensional space.

According to Professor Chae, it was clear from the beginning that since the gravitational field itself is caused by acceleration, gravity can be studied directly and efficiently by calculating acceleration. This idea was inspired by recent experience in studying the spin curves of galaxies.

unexpected result

The results of their work revealed a striking pattern: when two stars orbit each other at accelerations of less than one square nanometer per second, there is a clear deviation from the predictions of Newton’s law of gravity and Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

Especially for accelerations below 0.1 nm/s², the observed acceleration exceeds the estimate by approximately 30-40%. This anomaly has statistical significance of five standard deviations, which is considered an acceptable level for scientific discoveries.

The basis for this discovery was laid 40 years ago by physicist Mordechai Milgrom, who predicted that the law of universal gravitation could be violated at low accelerations. This concept formed the basis of the MOND hypothesis, which has attracted great interest in the scientific community ever since.

Milgrom’s hypothesis also inspired the AQUAL theory of gravity, which accurately predicts a gain of about 1.4 in the MOND context. This prediction critically explains the influence of the outer field of the Milky Way galaxy, a unique feature of MOND.

Why is this important?

Commenting on the potential implications of these findings, Mordechai Milgrom said:

If this anomaly is confirmed as a violation of Newtonian dynamics, and is indeed consistent with MOND’s most direct predictions in particular, it would have enormous implications for astrophysics, cosmology, and fundamental physics in general.

The implications of this research could reach far beyond our current understanding of gravity, potentially revolutionizing our understanding of space and paving the way for a new era in astrophysics and beyond. As the scientific community eagerly awaits further verification and analysis, these findings could be a turning point in our quest to unravel the mysteries of the universe.