Astrophysicists have observed the mysterious behavior of star clusters that seems to challenge our
How does the universe work?
Newton's classical theory of gravity is the lawdescribing gravitational interaction within the framework of classical mechanics. In Newtonian theory, every massive body generates a force field of attraction towards it. We are talking about the gravitational field.
Gravitational interaction in Newton’s theory propagates instantly, since the force of gravity depends only on the relative position of attracting bodies at a given moment in time.
Also responsible for what is happening in our Universeand dark matter. It does not participate in electromagnetic interaction and is therefore not available for direct observation. Dark matter makes up about 25% of the mass-energy of the Universe and appears only in gravitational interaction. Not all scientists are happy with the fact that it cannot be observed. Some physicists deny dark matter and the accepted structure of the Universe. They talk about the absence of gravity and the distortion of space-time and offer alternatives. For example, the MOND theory (English: Modified Newtonian Dynamics, modified Newtonian dynamics).
What is the alternative?
According to the MOND theory - or an alternative theory of gravity - Newton's law of gravity can be modified to explain the rotation of galaxies without involving dark matter.
Essentially, MOND theory is an alternative to the Generaltheory of relativity. It was invented by Einstein to explain how gravity works and why dark matter exists, which holds galaxies together.
Professor Pavel Krupa and his team found evidence for the existence of an alternative theory of gravity
Photo: Volker Lannert/University of Bonn
MOND aims to explain whydifferent objects in the universe have different mass without using the concept of dark matter. It was proposed in the early 1980s by the Israeli astrophysicist Mordechai Milgrom. The theory modifies the law of gravity, referring to a stronger force in some regions of space, thus explaining the curvature of space.
Where did scientists look for the answer?
The authors of the new study studied absent-mindedstar clusters. They are formed when thousands of stars are born in a short time in a huge gas cloud. As they “ignite,” they blow away the remnants of the gas cloud, causing the cluster to expand significantly. This creates a “loose” formation that contains anywhere from a few tens to several thousand stars. Weak gravitational forces acting between them hold the cluster members together.
In most cases, scattered starsthe clusters last only a few hundred million years before dissolving. At the same time, they regularly lose stars, which accumulate in two so-called “tidal tails.” One of them reaches for the cluster as it travels through space. The other, on the contrary, takes the “initiative” and works as the “spearhead.”
What is the inconsistency?
According to Newton's laws of gravity, the question of whetherWhich tail the lost star ends up in depends on the case. Thus, both should contain approximately the same number of stars. However, for the first time in history, scientists have proven that this is not the case. They studied the clusters and observed how the “front” tail always contained more stars than the “back” tail.
Until now it was almost impossible to determineamong the millions of stars close to the cluster are those that belong to its tails. To do this, you need to pay attention to the speed, direction of movement and age of each of these objects. To solve the problem, the authors of the new study developed a method that allowed them to accurately count the stars in their tails for the first time.
In the Hyades star cluster (top), the number of stars (black) in the leading tidal tail is significantly greater than in the trailing tidal tail.
Computer simulations using MOND (below) show a similar picture. Credit: University of Bonn.
At the moment, five open clusters have been explored near the Earth, four of them as close as possible. When scientists analyzed all the data, they were faced with a contradiction to the current theory.
Docking with another theory
New observational data, on the contrary, are much betterare consistent with the MOND theory. According to it, stars can leave the cluster “through two different doors,” scientists explain. “One leads to the “back” tidal tail, the other leads to the “front” tidal tail. However, the first is much narrower than the second, so it is unlikely that the star will leave the cluster through it. Newton's theory of gravity, on the other hand, predicts that both “doors” should be the same width,” the physicists write.
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Physicists have calculated the stellar distribution,expected according to MOND theory. The results turned out to be in surprisingly good agreement with the observations. However, to do this, physicists had to use relatively simple computational methods. They currently lack the mathematical tools to analyze modified Newtonian dynamics in more detail.
What's the bottom line?
However, the simulations also matchedwith observations in other respects. They predicted how long open star clusters would typically last. And this period of time is several times shorter than can be expected according to Newton’s laws. This explains a long-known mystery. Namely, why star clusters in nearby galaxies are disappearing faster than they should.
However, the MOND theory is not undisputed amongspecialists. Since Newton's laws of gravity "do not work" under certain circumstances, they must be changed. All this has far-reaching consequences for other areas of physics.
On the other hand, this solves manyproblems that cosmology faces today. Now the study authors are exploring new mathematical methods for even more accurate modeling. They can then be used to find further evidence as to whether the MOND theory is correct or not.
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