Tests of modified gravity with dwarf galaxies

Abstract

In modified gravity theories that seek to explain cosmic acceleration, dwarf galaxies in low density environments can be subject to enhanced forces. The class of scalar-tensor theories, which includes f(R) gravity, predict such a force enhancement (massive galaxies like the Milky Way can evade it through a screening mechanism that protects the interior of the galaxy from this ``fifth'' force). We study observable deviations from GR in the disks of late-type dwarf galaxies moving under gravity. The fifth-force acts on the dark matter and HI gas disk, butnot on the stellar disk owing to the self-screening of main sequence stars. We find four distinct observable effects in such disk galaxies: 1. A displacement of the stellar disk from the HI disk. 2. Warping of the stellar disk along the direction of the external force. 3. Enhancement of the rotation curve measured from the HI gas compared to that of the stellar disk. 4. Asymmetry in the rotation curve of the stellar disk. We estimate that the spatial effects can be up to 1 kpc and the rotationvelocity effects about 10 km/s in infalling dwarf galaxies. Such deviations are measurable: we expect thatwith a careful analysis of a sample of nearby dwarf galaxies one can improve astrophysical constraints on gravity theories by over three orders of magnitude, and even solar system constraints by one order of magnitude. Thus effective tests of gravity along the lines suggested by Hui, Nicolis, and Stubbs (2009) and Jain (2011) can be carried out with low-redshift galaxies, though care must be exercised in understandingpossible complications from astrophysical effects.