Einstein’s Relativity and Dark Matter, or MOND, You Decide
In a paper published in the journal Science, available online now here, astrophysicists address the interrelated issues of Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND), Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, and dark matter (also known as missing mass). In the authors’ own words, “the modified theory of Newtonian dynamics (MOND) reproduces, without dark matter, spiral-galaxy orbital motions and the relation between luminosity and rotation in galaxies, although not in clusters.” Many issues remain that distinguish between Einstein’s General Relativity and MOND, however, the authors appear confident that “observational tests of the relic radiation, weak lensing, and the growth of structure may distinguish modified gravity from dark matter.”