Distinguishing Dark Matter, Modified Gravity, and Modified Inertia with the Inner and Outer Parts of Galactic Rotation Curves

Abstract

The missing gravity in galaxies requires dark matter, or alternatively a modification of gravity or inertia. These theoretical possibilities of fundamental importance may be distinguished by the statistical relation between the observed centripetal acceleration of particles in orbital motion and the expected Newtonian acceleration from the observed distribution of baryons in galaxies. Here predictions of cold dark matter halos, modified gravity, and modified inertia are compared and tested by a statistical sample of galaxy rotation curves from the Spitzer Photometry and Accurate Rotation Curves (SPARC) database. Modified gravity under an estimated mean external field correctly predicts the observed statistical relation of accelerations from both the inner and outer parts of rotation curves. Taken at face value there is a $6.9\sigma$ difference between the inner and outer parts on an acceleration plane which would be inconsistent with current proposals of modified inertia. Removing galaxies with possible systematic concerns such as central bulges or special inclinations does not change this trend. Cold dark matter halos predict a systematically deviating relation from the observed one. All aspects of rotation curves are most naturally explained by modified gravity.