# Large Numbers, Galactic Rotation and Orbits

## Abstract

The time variation of the gravitational constant $`G`$ in the recently discussed large number cosmologies accounts for the galactic rotational velocity curves without invoking dark matter and also for effects like the precession of the perhelion of Mercury.

<sup>0</sup><sup>0</sup>footnotetext: Email:birlasc@hd1.vsnl.net.in; birlard@ap.nic.in  

In recent issues (Matthews, 1998), (Sidharth, 1999), the large number coincides brought to light by Dirac a little over sixty years ago were revisited. Cosmological schemes where these relations between the fundamental micro physical constants and large scale parameters like the Hubble constant and the number of particles in the universe are not mere magical or mysterious coincidences were considered. Here, the universal constant for gravitation $`G`$ varies with time (Narlikar, 1993), (c.f. also ref. (Sidharth, 1999)),

$$G=G_o(1\frac{t}{t_o})$$
(1)   
where $`t_o10^{17}secs`$ is the present age of the universe and $`t`$ is the time elapsed from the present epoch. Subscripts refer to values at the present epoch.   
From this it would also follow that the distance of an object moving under the influence of a massive gravitating body would decrease with time as (cf.ref.(Narlikar, 1993))

$$r=r_o(1\frac{t}{t_o})$$

More accurately we have

$$r=r_o(1\frac{\beta t}{t_o}),\beta 1$$
(2)   
(There is also a variant of the above idea, called multiplicative creation of particles, under which the distances increase with time - cf.ref.(Narlikar, 1993) for details.)   
We now show that given (1), it is possible to explain the anomalies in galactic rotational curves on the one hand and deduce effects like the correct perhelion precession of the planet Mercury on the other.   
The problem of galactic rotational curves is well known (cf.ref.(Narlikar, 1993)). We would expect, on the basis of straightforward dymamics that the rotational velocities at the edges of galaxies would fall off according to

$$v^2\frac{GM}{r}$$
(3)   
On the contrary the velocities tend to a value,

$$v300km/sec$$
(4)   
This has lead to the postulation of as yet undetected dark matter, that is that the galaxies are more massive than their visible material content indicates.   
Our starting point is the well known equation for Keplerian orbits (Goldstein, 1966), which on use of (1) becomes

$$\frac{1}{r}=\frac{mk_o}{l^2}(1+ecos\mathrm{\Theta })(1\frac{t}{t_o}),k=GmM,l=mr^2\dot{\mathrm{\Theta }}$$
(5)   
$`M`$ and $`m`$ being respectively the masses of the central and orbiting objects and $`e`$ is the eccentricity. From (6) we could deduce

$$r^3\dot{\mathrm{\Theta }}^2=r_o^3\dot{\mathrm{\Theta }}_o^2(1\frac{t}{t_o})$$
(6)   
Equation (6), for the special case of closed orbits, $`e<1`$ can be considered to be the generalisation of Kepler’s third law.   
From (2) it can be easily deduced that

$$a(\ddot{r}_o\ddot{r})\frac{\beta }{t_o}(t\ddot{r_o}+2\dot{r}_o)2\beta \frac{r_o}{t_o^2},$$
(7)   
as we are considering infinitesimal intervals $`t`$ and nearly circular orbits. Equation (7) shows that there is an anomalous inward acceleration, as if there is an extra attractive force, or an additional central mass.   
While we recover the usual theory, in the limit $`\beta 0`$, if we retain $`\beta `$ then we will have instead of the usual equation (3), in view of (7) and the fact that $`\beta 1`$

$$\frac{GMm}{r^2}+\frac{2mr}{t_o^2}\frac{mv^2}{r}$$
(8)   
From (8) it follows that

$$v\left(\frac{2r^2}{t_o^2}+\frac{GM}{r}\right)^{1/2}$$
(9)   
From (9) it is easily seen that at distances within the edge of a typical galaxy, that is $`r<10^{23}cms`$ the equation (3) holds but as we reach the edge and beyond, that is for $`r10^{24}cms`$ we have $`v10^7cms`$ per second, in agreement with (4).   
Thus the time variation of $`G`$ given in equation (1) explains observation without taking recourse to dark matter.   
We now come to the case of the precession of Mercury’s perhelion. Indeed using (2) in (6) we get

$$\dot{\mathrm{\Theta }}^2=\dot{\mathrm{\Theta }}_o^2(1\frac{t}{t_o})(1+\frac{3\beta t}{t_o})$$

whence,

$$\dot{\mathrm{\Theta }}=\dot{\mathrm{\Theta }}_o(1+\frac{t}{t_o})$$
(10)   
From (10) we can deduce

$$\lambda (t)\mathrm{\Theta }\mathrm{\Theta }_o=\frac{\pi }{\tau _ot_o}t^2$$

where $`\lambda (t)`$ is the average perhelion precession at time $`t`$ and $`\tau _o0.25`$ years the planet’s period of revolution. Summing over the years $`t=1,2,\mathrm{},100,`$ the total precession in a century is given by

$$\lambda =\underset{n=1}{\overset{100}{}}\lambda (n)43^{\prime \prime }$$

the age of the universe $`t_o`$ being taken $`2\times 10^{10}`$ years. This ofcourse is the observed value.   
Finally, it may be mentioned that several recent studies show that the universe is ever expanding (Perlmutter, 1998), which undermines the conventional belief that dark matter closes the universe.   

References   

Goldstein H 1966 Classical Mechanics Addison-Wesley, Reading,Mass.   
Matthews R 1998 A& G 39 6.19-6.20.   
Narlikar J V 1993 Introduction to Cosmology Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.   
Perlmutter S et al. 1998 Nature 391 51-54.   
Sidharth B G 1999 A& G 40 2.8.