Rethinking Galaxy Rotation Curves: A Quantum Alternative to Dark Matter?

Researchers claim that a Quantum Entropic Vacuum (QEV) framework can replicate the flat outer velocity profiles of spiral galaxies without adding invisible mass. Historically, mapping the genome of galaxy rotation curves has presented a stubborn anomaly: visible matter alone cannot generate enough gravity to hold fast-spinning galaxies together, necessitating the hypothesis of dark matter to fill the gap.

Modelling Galaxy Rotation Curves Without Halos

The proposed QEV framework operates by bounding the vacuum spectrum. It establishes a 'floor' and a 'ceiling' for vacuum energy, anchored by the QCD-scale ultraviolet knee and an infrared reference scale tied to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). When applied to galaxy scales, this bounded spectrum produces a net effect that mimics the gravitational pull usually attributed to dark matter. The authors demonstrate this using the rotation curve of NGC 3198, achieving a fit with minimal residuals using a single, unit-consistent configuration. Technically, the contrast between the standard model and this new approach is sharp. The conventional method resolves the velocity discrepancy by embedding galaxies in massive, invisible dark matter halos, effectively adding a free parameter to fit the data. The QEV framework, however, derives the extra acceleration from the vacuum structure itself. Instead of a halo, it maps the dynamics to four interpretable contributions: the standard Newtonian pull of baryons, a mid-disk thermal lift, a saturating entropic term, and a sign-definite hadronic floor. While the standard model relies on adding hypothetical material, QEV attempts to solve the problem by redefining the energetic boundary conditions of empty space.

Scepticism and Statistical Limitations

While the results for NGC 3198 and selected spirals are promising, the study remains illustrative. The authors provide diagnostic panels suggesting the model tracks with standard flat-$\Lambda$CDM cosmology up to a redshift of 1, but this is not a rigorous proof. Crucially, the team has not yet performed a joint likelihood analysis over supernovae (SNe Ia), Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), or cosmic-chronometer data. Without these broader tests, the framework creates a consistent picture for individual galaxies but has not yet demonstrated universal viability. Transparency is a merit of this work. The researchers have released a minimal software package, including a Python script and SPARC-based tables, allowing independent verification of their figures. This openness invites scrutiny. However, until the QEV picture undergoes full statistical validation against the wider cosmological dataset, it should be viewed as a mathematical possibility rather than a confirmed physical reality.