Galaxy schematic with slit

Face-on pedagogical view. Published curves are inclination-corrected intrinsic $V(R)$.

Rotation and mass curves

Compare total, visible-only Keplerian, components, and optional MOND prediction.

Rotation curve showing velocity versus radius for the currently selected galaxy preset.

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What to notice 3 bullets
  • When dark halo mass is removed, the rotation curve drops as $R^{-1/2}$ at large radii — matching the Keplerian prediction from visible matter alone.
  • Flat rotation curves at large $R$ require extra mass beyond what we see — the dark halo component supplies this.
  • The dark-to-visible mass ratio grows with radius: dark matter dominates the outskirts of galaxies.
Model notes NFW + disk + bulge
  • The halo uses an NFW (Navarro-Frenk-White) density profile; the disk uses an exponential surface density; the bulge uses a Hernquist profile.
  • Component velocities add in quadrature because the gravitational potentials are independent and spherically averaged.
  • The MOND curve shows the deep-MOND asymptotic limit ($a \ll a_0$) where $V^4 \approx G\,M\,a_0$. The full MOND interpolating function transitions smoothly from Newtonian at small $R$ to this flat regime.
  • Rotation curves are one line of evidence for dark matter. Cluster dynamics, gravitational lensing (Bullet Cluster), and CMB anisotropies all indicate most matter is non-luminous.
Explore further connections
  • Doppler Shift: The 21-cm readout in this demo uses the same Doppler formula. Open Doppler Shift →
  • Spectral Lines: See why hydrogen emits at specific wavelengths, including the 21-cm spin-flip line. Open Spectral Lines →