Galactic dynamics in general relativity: the role of gravitomagnetism

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that, in the absence of dark matter, the observation of the rotation curves of galaxies cannot be explained in terms of Newtonian gravity. Rotation curves become flat in the outer regions, in contrast to what is expected according to Keplerian motion. Far from the galactic center, the gravitational field is supposed to be weak enough so we expect to be able to use Newtonian gravity; however, even in the weak-field approximation, there are general relativistic effects without a Newtonian counterpart, such as the gravitomagnetic effects originating from mass currents. Using the gravitoelectromagnetic approach to the solution of Einstein equations in the weak-field and slow-motion approximation, we discuss some simple arguments that suggest the surprising result that gravitomagnetic effects may have a relevant role in better understanding the impact of dark matter on galactic dynamics. In addition, treating matter as a fluid of dust, we study the influence of post-Newtonian effects on the fluid vorticity.