Wide binaries and modified gravity (MOG)

Abstract

Wide binary stars are used to test the modified gravity called Scalar-Tensor-Vector Gravity or MOG. This theory is based on the additional gravitational degrees of freedom, the scalar field G = G_N (1+α), where G_N is Newton's constant, and the massive (spin-1 graviton) vector field ϕ_μ . The wide binaries have separations of 2–30 kAU. The MOG acceleration law, derived from the MOG field equations and equations of motion of a massive test particle for weak gravitational fields, depends on the enhanced gravitational constant G = G_N (1+α) and the effective running mass μ. The magnitude of α depends on the physical length scale or averaging scale ℓ of the system. The modified MOG acceleration law for weak gravitational fields predicts that for the solar system and for the wide binary star systems gravitational dynamics follows Newton's law.