Fifth force constraints from the separation of galaxy mass components

Abstract

One of the most common consequences of extensions to the standard models of particle physics or cosmology is the emergence of a fifth force. While generic fifth forces are tightly constrained at Solar System scales and below, they may escape detection by means of a screening mechanism which effectively removes them in dense environments. We constrain the strength $\Delta G/G_N$ and range $\lambda_C$ of a chameleon- or symmetron-screened fifth force with Yukawa coupling -- as well as an unscreened fifth force with differential coupling to galactic mass components -- by searching for the displacement it predicts between galaxies' stellar and gas mass centroids. Taking data from the Alfalfa HI survey, identifying galaxies' gravitational environments with the maps of Desmond et al. (2018a) and forward-modelling with a Bayesian likelihood framework, we find $6.6\sigma$ evidence for $\Delta G>0$ at $\lambda_C \simeq 2$ Mpc, with $\Delta G/G_N = 0.025$ at maximum-likelihood. A similar fifth-force model without screening gives no increase in likelihood over the case $\Delta G = 0$ for any $\lambda_C$. Although we validate these results by several methods, we do not claim screened modified gravity to provide the only possible explanation for the signal: this would require knowing that "galaxy formation" physics could not be responsible. We show also the results of a more conservative -- though less well motivated -- noise model which yields only upper limits on $\Delta G/G_N$, ranging from $\sim10^{-1}$ for $\lambda_C \simeq 0.5$ Mpc to $\sim \: \text{few} \times 10^{-4}$ at $\lambda_C \simeq 50$ Mpc. We show how these constraints may be improved by future galaxy surveys and identify the key features of an observational programme for directly constraining fifth forces on galactic scales. This paper provides a complete description of the analysis summarised in Desmond et al. (2018b).