Addressing the missing matter problem in galaxies through a new fundamental gravitational radius

We demonstrate that the existence of a Noether symmetry in $f(R)$ theories of gravity gives rise to a further gravitational radius, besides the standard Schwarzschild one, determining the dynamics at galactic scales. By this feature, it is possible to explain the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation and the rotation curve of gas-rich galaxies without the dark matter hypothesis.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, to be published in JCA

Recovering the fundamental plane of galaxies by f(R)f(R) gravity

The fundamental plane (FP) of galaxies can be recovered in the framework of $f(R)$ gravity avoiding the issues related to dark matter to fit the observations. In particular, the power-law version $f(R)\propto R^n$, resulting from the existence of Noether symmetries for $f(R)$, is sufficient to implement the approach. In fact, relations between the FP parameters and the corrected Newtonian potential, coming from $R^n$, can be found and justified from a physical point of view. Specifically, we analyze the velocity distribution of elliptical galaxies and obtain that $r_c$, the scale-length depending on the gravitational system properties, is proportional to $r_e$, the galaxy effective radius. This fact points out that the gravitational corrections induced by $f(R)$ can lead photometry and dynamics of the system. Furthermore, the main byproduct of such an approach is that gravity could work in different ways depending on the scales of self-gravitating systems.Comment: 18 pages, 3 tables, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Dark Univers

Constraining Extended Gravity Models by S2 star orbits around the Galactic Centre

We investigate the possibility to explain theoretically the observed deviations of S2 star orbit around the Galactic Centre using gravitational potentials derived from modified gravity models in absence of dark matter. To this aim, an analytic fourth-order theory of gravity, non-minimally coupled with a massive scalar field is considered. Specifically, the interaction term is given by analytic functions $f(R)$ and $f(R,\phi)$ where $R$ is the Ricci scalar and $\phi$ is a scalar field whose meaning can be related to further gravitational degrees of freedom. We simulate the orbit of S2 star around the Galactic Centre in $f(R)$ (Yukawa-like) and $f(R,\phi)$ (Sanders-like) gravity potentials and compare it with NTT/VLT observations. Our simulations result in strong constraints on the range of gravity interaction. In the case of analytic functions $f(R)$, we are not able to obtain reliable constraints on the derivative constants $f_1$ and $f_2$, because the current observations of S2 star indicated that they may be highly mutually correlated. In the case of analytic functions $f(R,\phi)$, we are able to obtain reliable constraints on the derivative constants $f_0$, $f_R$, $f_{RR}$, $f_{\phi}$, $f_{\phi\phi}$ and $f_{\phi R}$. The approach we are proposing seems to be sufficiently reliable to constrain the modified gravity models from stellar orbits around Galactic Centre.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure to appear in Phys. Rev.

Constraining the range of Yukawa gravity interaction from S2 star orbits

We consider possible signatures for Yukawa gravity within the Galactic Central Parsec, based on our analysis of the S2 star orbital precession around the massive compact dark object at the Galactic Centre, and on the comparisons between the simulated orbits in Yukawa gravity and two independent sets of observations. Our simulations resulted in strong constraints on the range of Yukawa interaction $\Lambda$ and showed that its most probable value in the case of S2 star is around 5000 - 7000 AU. At the same time, we were not able to obtain reliable constrains on the universal constant $\delta$ of Yukawa gravity, because the current observations of S2 star indicated that it may be highly correlated with parameter $\Lambda$ in the range $(0 <\delta < 1)$. For $\delta > 2$ they are not correlated. However, the same universal constant which was successfully applied to clusters of galaxies and rotation curves of spiral galaxies ($\delta=1/3$) also gives a satisfactory agreement with the observed orbital precession of the S2 star, and in that case the most probable value for the scale parameter is $\Lambda \approx 3000 \pm 1500$ AU. Also, the Yukawa gravity potential induces precession of S2 star orbit in the same direction as General Relativity for $\delta > 0$ and for $\delta < -1$, and in the opposite direction for $-1 <\delta < 0$. The future observations with advanced facilities, such as GRAVITY or/and European Extremely Large Telescope, are needed in order to verify these claims.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in JCA

Constraints on RnR^n gravity from precession of orbits of S2-like stars

We study some possible observational signatures of $R^n$ gravity at Galactic scales and how these signatures could be used for constraining this type of $f(R)$ gravity. For that purpose, we performed two-body simulations in $R^n$ gravity potential and analyzed the obtained trajectories of S2-like stars around Galactic center, as well as resulting parameter space of $R^n$ gravity potential. Here, we discuss the constraints on the $R^n$ gravity which can be obtained from the observations of orbits of S2-like stars with the present and next generations of large telescopes. We make comparison between the theoretical results and observations. Our results show that the most probable value for the parameter $r_c$ in $R^n$ gravity potential in the case of S2-like stars is $\sim$100 AU, while the universal parameter $\beta$ is close to 0.01. Also, the $R^n$ gravity potential induces the precession of S2-like stars orbit in opposite direction with respect to General Relativity, therefore, such a behavior of orbits qualitatively is similar to a behavior of Newtonian orbits with a bulk distribution of matter (including a stellar cluster and dark matter distributions).Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, accepted in Phys. Rev.

Line shifts in accretion disks - the case of Fe Kα\alpha

Here we present a short overview and main results of our investigations of several effects which can induce shifts in the broad Fe K$\alpha$ line emitted from relativistic accretion disks around single and binary supermassive black holes. We used numerical simulations based on ray-tracing method in the Kerr metric to study the role of classical Doppler shift, special relativistic transverse Doppler shift and Doppler beaming, general relativistic gravitational redshift, and perturbations of the disk emissivity in the formation of the observed Fe K$\alpha$ line profiles. Besides, we also investigated whether the observed line profiles from the binary systems of supermassive black holes could be affected by the Doppler shifts due to dynamics of such systems. The presented results demonstrate that all these effects could have a significant influence on the observed profiles of the broad Fe K$\alpha$ line emitted from relativistic accretion disks around single and binary supermassive black holes.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Masses of constituent quarks confined in open bottom hadrons

We apply color-spin and flavor-spin quark-quark interactions to the meson and baryon constituent quarks, and calculate constituent quark masses, as well as the coupling constants of these interactions. The main goal of this paper was to determine constituent quark masses from light and open bottom hadron masses, using the fitting method we have developed and clustering of hadron groups. We use color-spin Fermi-Breit (FB) and flavor-spin Glozman-Riska (GR) hyperfine interaction (HFI) to determine constituent quark masses (especially $b$ quark mass). Another aim was to discern between the FB and GR HFI because our previous findings had indicated that both interactions were satisfactory. Our improved fitting procedure of constituent quark masses showed that on average color-spin (Fermi-Breit) hyperfine interaction yields better fits. The method also shows the way how the constituent quark masses and the strength of the interaction constants appear in different hadron environments.Comment: 15 pages, 6 tables, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in Mod. Phys. Lett.

Constraining Non-local Gravity by S2 star orbits

Non-local theories of gravity have recently gained a lot of interest because they can suitably represent the behavior of gravitational interaction in the ultraviolet regime. Furthermore, at infrared scales, they give rise to notable cosmological effects which could be important to describe the dark energy behavior. In particular, exponential forms of the distortion function seem particularly useful for this purpose. Using Noether Symmetries, it can be shown that the only non-trivial form of the distortion function is the exponential one, which is working not only for cosmological mini-superspaces, but also in a spherically symmetric spacetime. Taking this result into account, we study the weak field approximation of this type of non-local gravity, and comparing with the orbits of S2 stars around the Galactic center (NTT/VLT data), we set constraints on the parameters of the theory. Non-local effects do not play a significant role on the orbits of S2 stars around Sgr A*, but give richer phenomenology at cosmological scales than the $\Lambda$CDM model. Also, we show that non-local gravity model gives better agreement between theory and astronomical observations than Keplerian orbits.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

The First Spectroscopically Resolved Sub-parsec Orbit of a Supermassive Binary Black Hole

One of the most intriguing scenarios proposed to explain how active galactic nuclei are triggered involves the existence of a supermassive binary black hole system in their cores. Here we present an observational evidence for the first spectroscopically resolved sub-parsec orbit of a such system in the core of Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151. Using a method similar to those typically applied for spectroscopic binary stars we obtained radial velocity curves of the supermassive binary system, from which we calculated orbital elements and made estimates about the masses of components. Our analysis shows that periodic variations in the light and radial velocity curves can be accounted for an eccentric, sub-parsec Keplerian orbit of a 15.9-year period. The flux maximum in the lightcurve correspond to the approaching phase of a secondary component towards the observer. According to the obtained results we speculate that the periodic variations in the observed H{\alpha} line shape and flux are due to shock waves generated by the supersonic motion of the components through the surrounding medium. Given the large observational effort needed to reveal this spectroscopically resolved binary orbital motion we suggest that many such systems may exist in similar objects even if they are hard to find. Detecting more of them will provide us with insight into black hole mass growth process.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figures, published in ApJ, 759, 11

Study of spectral index of giant radio galaxy from Leahy's Atlas: DA 240

Here we investigate the giant radio galaxy DA 240, which is a FR II source. Specifically, we investigate its flux density, as well as the spectral index distribution. For that purpose, we used publicly available data for the source: Leahy's atlas of double radio-sources and NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED). We used observations at 326 MHz (92 cm) and at 608 MHz (49 cm) and obtained spectral index distributions between 326 and 608 MHz. For the first time we give spectral index map for these frequencies. We found that the synchrotron radiation is the dominant radiation mechanism over most of the area of DA 240, and also investigated the mechanism of radiation at some characteristic points, namely its core and the hotspots. The results of this study will be helpful for understanding the evolutionary process of the DA 240 radio source.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Contrib. Astron. Obs. Skalnate Pleso (Invited lecture at V Meeting on Astrophysical Spectroscopy - A&M DATA 2023