Data on galaxy rotation curves vs visible matter

In summary, Stacy McGaugh's website and "SPARC" database contains high quality data that is difficult to find in table form. If you adopt a truly unbiased scientific approach, you should be familiar with his work.
  • #1
bakerjay
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TL;DR Summary
I'm after some raw data (visible mass vs total mass within different radii) for testing theories of dark matter in galaxies.
I'm after some raw data for testing theories of dark matter in galaxies.

Basically what I want is table showing visible mass vs total mass within different radii (or, observed rotational velocity vs expected rotational velocity without dark matter). Plus error percentages. And ideally, for multiple different galaxies.

I've been able to find lots of low-res graphs such as this, which show the sort of data I'm after, but can't seem to find it in table form...

ation_curve_of_spiral_galaxy_Messier_33_Triangulum.png
 
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  • #2
bakerjay said:
TL;DR Summary: I'm after some raw data (visible mass vs total mass within different radii) for testing theories of dark matter in galaxies.
I guess you have not yet found Stacy McGaugh's website and the extensive, high quality "SPARC" database, together with his data pages?

Prof McGaugh and colleagues have already done vast amounts of that kind of attempted DM fitting, eventually leading himself into deep disappointment about DM. If you can adopt a truly unbiased scientific approach, you would profit by familiarizing yourself with their work over the past 20+ yrs.
 
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  • #3
strangerep said:
I guess you have not yet found Stacy McGaugh's website and the extensive, high quality "SPARC" database, together with his data pages?

Prof McGaugh and colleagues have already done vast amounts of that kind of attempted DM fitting, eventually leading himself into deep disappointment about DM. If you can adopt a truly unbiased scientific approach, you would profit by familiarizing yourself with their work over the past 20+ yrs.
Oh great, thanks! That looks like the kind of thing I'm after.

I'm having a bit of trouble interpreting some of that - for instance, in the 'Newtonian Mass Models' data, there is observed velocity, and then velocity contributions from gas, and from disk. I would have anticipated that {observed - gas - disk} would give you the velocity contribution from dark matter, but often the gas+disk contributions are actually greater than the observed velocity. What am I missing here?
 
  • #4
Alas, I'm not an expert, and you didn't quote the data examples that you're puzzled about.

So I'll just note that, at low accelerations, one finds that ##\,g_{obs} \propto \sqrt{g_{bar}}## .

For more detail, try these papers:

One Law to Rule them All: the Radial Acceleration Relation of Galaxies

The Radial Acceleration Relation in Rotationally Supported Galaxies

You might also benefit by following McGaugh's blog Triton Station, and also reading some of his older blog posts therein.

If you reply quickly to any of his (new) blog posts, and ask questions, sometimes he (or another poster) will answer helpfully, even if your question is not quite on the topic of his post.
 

FAQ: Data on galaxy rotation curves vs visible matter

What are galaxy rotation curves?

Galaxy rotation curves are plots that show the rotational velocity of stars and gas in a galaxy as a function of their distance from the galaxy's center. These curves are used to study the distribution of mass within galaxies.

Why do galaxy rotation curves not match the distribution of visible matter?

Galaxy rotation curves often show that the rotational velocity of stars remains constant or even increases at large distances from the center, whereas the visible matter alone would predict a decrease in velocity. This discrepancy suggests that there is additional, unseen mass in galaxies, which is attributed to dark matter.

What is dark matter?

Dark matter is a form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible to current telescopic observations. It is inferred to exist because of its gravitational effects on visible matter, such as the unexpected flatness of galaxy rotation curves.

How do scientists measure galaxy rotation curves?

Scientists measure galaxy rotation curves by observing the Doppler shifts in the spectral lines of stars and gas within the galaxy. These shifts indicate the velocity of objects moving towards or away from us, allowing astronomers to map out the rotational velocities at various distances from the galaxy's center.

What are the implications of the discrepancy between galaxy rotation curves and visible matter?

The discrepancy implies that there is much more mass in galaxies than what we can see. This has led to the hypothesis of dark matter, which constitutes about 27% of the universe's total mass and energy content. Understanding this discrepancy is crucial for our comprehension of galaxy formation, structure, and the overall dynamics of the universe.

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