The MOdified Gravity (MOG) theory of J. Moffat assumes a massive vector particle which causes a repulsive contribution to the tensor gravitation. For the galaxy cluster A1689 new data for the X-ray gas and the strong lensing properties are presented. Fits to MOG are possible by adjusting the galaxy density profile. However, this appears to work as an effective dark matter component, posing a serious problem for MOG. New gas and strong lensing data for the cluster A1835 support these conclusions and point at a tendency of the gas-alone to overestimate the lensing effects in MOG theory.
The modified gravity (MOG) theory is applied to the gravitational wave binary merger GW190814 to demonstrate that the modified Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation for a neutron star can produce a mass $M=2.6 -2.7 M_\odot$, allowing for the binary secondary component to be identified as a heavy neutron star in the hypothesized mass gap $2.5 - 5 M_\odot$.
The weak lensing of cosmic web filaments is investigated in modified gravity (MOG) and it is demonstrated that the detected galaxies and baryonic gas of order $5-15 \%$ in filaments can with the enhanced value of the strength of gravity agree with the lensing data for filaments without dark matter.
Deviations from the standard $Λ$CDM model motivate an interpretation of early universe cosmology using the Scalar-Tensor-Vector-Gravity (STVG) theory. A constraint analysis carried out by Valentino, Melchiorri and Silk, revealed deviations from the growth of structure predicted by General Relativity, and a lensing anomaly in the angular CMB power spectrum data. The modified gravity (MOG) theory resolves the lensing deviation from the standard model and provides an explanation of the CMB and structure growth data.
We analyse the MOdified Gravity (MOG) theory, proposed by Moffat, in a cosmological context. We use data from Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia), Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) and Cosmic Chronometers (CC) to test MOG predictions. For this, we perform $χ^2$ tests considering fixed values of $H_0$ and $V_G$, the self-interaction potential of one of the scalar fields in the theory. Our results show that the MOG theory is in agreement with all data sets for some particular values of $H_0$ and $V_G$, being the BAO data set the most powerful tool to test MOG predictions, due to its constraining power.
We model the cluster A1689 in two modified MOND frameworks (EMOND and what we call generalised MOND or GMOND) with the aim of determining whether it is possible to explain the inferred acceleration profile, from gravitational lensing, without the aid of dark matter. We also compare our result to predictions from MOG/STVG and Emergent Gravity. By using a baryonic mass model, we determine the total gravitational acceleration predicted by the modified gravitational equations and compare the result to NFW profiles of dark matter studies on A1689 from the literature. Theory parameters are inferred …
In this paper, we have investigated one of the alternative theories to dark matter named MOdified Gravity (MOG) by testing its ability to describe the local dynamics of the Milky Way in vertical and transverse directions with the baryonic matter. MOG is designed to interpret the dynamics of galaxies and cluster of galaxies without the need for dark matter. We use local observational data such as the vertical dispersion, rotation curve, surface density and number density of stars in the Milky Way to obtained the parameters of MOG and the baryonic component of MW by implementing a Bayesian appro…
We investigate the cosmological perturbations in the context of a Scalar-Tensor-Vector theory of Gravity known as MOG in the literature. Recent investigations show that MOG reproduces a viable background cosmological evolution comparable to $Λ$CDM. However, the matter-dominated era is slightly different. In this paper, we study the linear matter perturbations and estimate the relevant modified gravity parameters. We show that MOG reduces the growth rate of the perturbations and comparing with the RSD data reveals that MOG suggests a higher value for $σ_8$, compare to $Λ$CDM. This point, consti…
A covariant modified gravity (MOG) is formulated by adding to general relativity two new degrees of freedom, a scalar field gravitational coupling strength $G= 1/χ$ and a gravitational spin 1 vector field $ϕ_μ$. The $G$ is written as $G=G_N(1+α)$ where $G_N$ is Newton's constant, and the gravitational source charge for the vector field is $Q_g=\sqrt{αG_N}M$, where $M$ is the mass of a body. Cosmological solutions of the theory are derived in a homogeneous and isotropic cosmology. Black holes in MOG are stationary as the end product of gravitational collapse and are axisymmetric solutions with …
Modified Gravity (MOG) and Non-Local Gravity (NLG) are two alternative theories to General Relativity. They are able to explain the rotation curves of spiral galaxies and clusters of galaxies without including dark matter (Moffat & Rahvar 2013, 2014; Rahvar & Mashhoon 2014). In the weak-field approximation these two theories have similar forms, with an effective gravitational potential that has two components: (i) Newtonian gravity with the gravitational constant enhanced by a factor $(1+α)$ and (ii) a Yukawa type potential that produces a repulsive force with length scale $1/μ$. In this work …
An important piece of evidence for dark matter is the need to explain the growth of structure from the time of horizon entry and radiation-matter equality to the formation of stars and galaxies. This cannot be explained by using general relativity without dark matter. So far, dark matter particles have not been detected in laboratory measurements or at the LHC. We demonstrate that enhanced structure growth can happen in a modified gravity theory (MOG). The vector field and particle introduced in the theory to explain galaxy and cluster dynamics plays an important role in generating the require…
We investigate the cosmological consequences of a scalar-vector-tensor theory of gravity known as MOG. In MOG, in addition to metric tensor, there are two scalar fields $G(x)$ and $μ(x)$, and one vector field $ϕ_α(x)$. Using the phase space analysis, we explore the cosmological consequences of a model of MOG and find some new interesting features which are absent in $Λ$CDM model. More specifically we study the possibility that if the extra fields of this theory behave like dark energy to explain the cosmic speedup. More interestingly, with or without cosmological constant, strongly phantom cro…
Scalar Tensor Vector Gravity(STVG) is a fully covariant Lorentz invariant alternative theory of gravity also called as MOdified Gravity(MOG) which modifies General Relativity(GR) with dynamical massive vector field and scalar fields. In STVG the mass $μ$ of the vector field $ϕ$ and the Universal gravitational constant G enjoys the status of a dynamical field. We use the reconstructed total cluster mass obtained from X-ray observations by XMM-Newton telescope in combination with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich(SZ) effect observed within Planck all-sky survey to estimate the parameters $ α$ and $μ$ with …
We investigate gravitational lensing in the context of the MOG modified theory of gravity. Using a formulation of the theory with no adjustable or fitted parameters, we present the MOG equations of motion for slow, nonrelativistic test particles and for ultrarelativistic test particles, such as rays of light. We demonstrate how the MOG prediction for the bending of light can be applied to astronomical observations. Our investigation first focuses on a small set of strong lensing observations where the properties of the lensing objects are found to be consistent with the predictions of the theo…
Various theories, such as MOND, MOG, Emergent Gravity and $f(R)$ theories avoid dark matter by assuming a change in General Relativity and/or in Newton's law. Galactic rotation curves are typically described well. Here the application to galaxy clusters is considered, focussed on the good lensing and X-ray data for A1689. As a start, the no-dark-matter case is confirmed to work badly: the need for dark matter starts near the cluster centre, where Newton's law is still supposed to be valid. This leads to the conundrum discovered by Zwicky, which is likely only solvable in his way, namely by ass…
In its weak field limit, Scalar-tensor-vector gravity theory introduces a Yukawa-correction to the gravitational potential. Such a correction depends on the two parameters, $α$ which accounts for the modification of the gravitational constant, and $μ^{*-1}$ which represents the scale length on which the scalar field propagates. These parameters were found to be universal when the modified gravitational potential was used to fit the galaxy rotation curves and the mass profiles of galaxy clusters, both without Dark Matter. We test the universality of these parameters using the the temperature an…
Shell galaxies are understood to form through the collision of a dwarf galaxy with an elliptical galaxy. Shell structures and kinematics have been noted to be independent tools to measure the gravitational potential of the shell galaxies. We compare theoretically the formation of shells in Type I shell galaxies in different gravity theories in this work because this is so far missing in the literature. We include Newtonian plus dark halo gravity, and two non-Newtonian gravity models, MOG and MOND, in identical initial systems. We investigate the effect of dynamical friction, which by slowing d…
A modified gravitational theory explains early universe and late time cosmology, galaxy and galaxy cluster dynamics. The modified gravity (MOG) theory extends general relativity (GR) by three extra degrees of freedom: a scalar field $G$, enhancing the strength of the Newtonian gravitational constant $G_N$, a gravitational, spin 1 vector graviton field $ϕ_μ$, and the effective mass $μ$ of the ultralight spin 1 graviton. For $t < t_{\rm rec}$, where $t_{\rm rec}$ denotes the time of recombination and re-ionization, the density of the vector graviton $ρ_ϕ> ρ_b$, where $ρ_b$ is the density of bary…
A major hurdle for modified gravity theories is to explain the dynamics of galaxy clusters. A case is made for a generalized gravitational theory called Scalar-Tensor-Vector-Gravity (STVG) or MOG (modified gravity) to explain merging cluster dynamics. The paper presents the results of a re-analysis of the Bullet Cluster, as well as an analysis of the Train Wreck Cluster in the weak gravitational field limit without dark matter. The King-$β$ model is used to fit the X-ray data of both clusters, and the $κ$-maps are computed using the parameters of this fit. The amount of galaxies in the cluster…
We provide a cosmological test of modified gravity with two tensorial degrees of freedom and no extra propagating scalar mode. The theory of gravity we consider admits a cosmological model that is indistinguishable from the $Λ$CDM model at the level of the background evolution. The model has a single modified-gravity parameter $β$, the effect of which can be seen in linear perturbations, though no extra scalar mode is propagating. Using the Boltzmann code modified to incorporate the present model, we derive the constraints $-0.047 < β< -0.028$ at 68$\%$ confidence from Planck CMB data. Since o…
In modified gravity, the one-loop matter power spectrum exhibits an ultraviolet divergence as shown in the framework of the degenerate higher-order scalar-tensor theory. To address this problem, we extend the effective field theory of large scale structure to modified gravity theories. We find that new counterterms appear and renormalize the ultraviolet divergence as a natural consequence of non-linearity in the modified Poisson equation. The renormalized one-loop matter power spectrum is useful to test modified gravity theories by comparing to observations.
This paper scrutinises the tenability of a strict conceptual distinction between space(time) and matter via the lens of the debate between modified gravity and dark matter. In particular, we consider Berezhiani and Khoury's novel 'superfluid dark matter theory' (SFDM) as a case study. Two families of criteria for being matter and being spacetime, respectively, are extracted from the literature. Evaluation of the new scalar field postulated by SFDM according to these criteria reveals that it is as much (dark) matter as anything could possibly be, but also$-$below the critical temperature for su…
