A Baryon-Driven Quantum Gravity Framework For The Elliptical Galaxy M86
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Keywords:
Quantum Gravity Theory (QGT); Elliptical Galaxy; Velocity Dispersion; M86; Planetary Nebulae; Anisotropic ModellingAbstract
This study investigates whether a baryon-driven Quantum Gravity Theory (QGT), originally formulated by Wong et al. (2014) through the discovery of the antigraviton and its verification in the rotation curve of NGC 6503, can reproduce the internal dynamics of the Virgo elliptical galaxy M86 without invoking a dark matter halo. Building on a gravitational potential derived from quantum hyperbolic structure, we formulate an exact anisotropic Jeans model in which the gravitational enhancement is determined solely by the baryonic radial center of mass. Using observationally constrained stellar and hot gas distributions, we compute the QGT gravitational scale length for M86, solve the spherical Jeans equation, and compare the predicted line-of-sight velocity dispersion profile to measurements spanning 0.1–100 kpc from stars, globular clusters, and outer halo tracers.
QGT successfully reproduces the observed velocity dispersion of M86 across all radii using only baryonic mass, while Newtonian gravity with baryons alone systematically underpredicts the dispersion beyond ~10 kpc. The ability of QGT to match the kinematics of M86—an intermediate-mass, environmentally disturbed elliptical currently infalling into the Virgo Cluster—demonstrates that the theory remains predictive even for non-cD, dynamically complex systems. These results suggest that a baryon-determined quantum modification of gravity may provide a viable explanation for the dynamics of pressure-supported galaxies without requiring dark matter halos.
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