Applying Retardation Theory to Galaxies

Abstract

The missing mass problem has been with us since the 1970s, as Newtonian gravity using baryonic mass cannot account for various observations. We investigate the viability of retardation theory, an alternative to the Dark Matter paradigm (DM) which does not seek to modify the General Principal of Relativity but to improve solutions within it by exploring its weak field approximation to solve the said problem in a galactic context. This work presents eleven rotation curves calculated using Retardation Theory. The calculated rotation curves are compared with observed rotation curves and with those calculated using MOND. Values for the change in mass flux to mass ratio are extracted from the fitting process as a free fitting parameter. Those quantities are interpreted here and in previous works using given galactic processes. Retardation Theory was able to successfully reproduce rotation curves and a preliminary correlation with star birthrate index is seen, suggesting a possible link between galactic winds and observed rotation curves. Retardation Theory shows promising results within current observations. More research is needed to elucidate the suggested mechanism and the processes which contribute to it. Galactic mass outflows carried by galactic winds may affect rotation curves.