What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to uncover the scaling relations of galaxies using data-driven methods.

June 26, 2026Open Access

Data-Driven Discovery of Galaxy Scaling Relations: The Tully-Fisher Relation, Dark Matter Density Profiles, and the Fundamental Plane

Key Points

This research aims to uncover the scaling relations of galaxies using data-driven methods.
Applied data-driven functional form discovery to three galaxy scaling relations using SPARC and MaNGA data.
Analyzed data from 22 SPARC galaxies to fit density profiles.
Evaluated the Fundamental Plane (FP) of 5,428 MaNGA elliptical galaxies.
BTFR slope determined to be n=3.10±0.10, significantly deviating from MOND prediction of n=4 (8.7σ).
Density profile fits show a 21:1 preference for Burkert over NFW (cored vs. cuspy models).
Fundamental Plane analysis gives parameters a=0.78 and b=−0.66, decisively rejecting virial model.

Abstract

We apply data-driven functional form discovery to three galaxy scaling relations using public SPARC and MaNGA data. (1) The BTFR slope is n=3.10±0.10, 8.7σ from MOND n=4. (2) Parametric density profile fits to 22 SPARC galaxies find 21:1 preference for Burkert (cored) over NFW (cuspy). (3) The FP of 5,428 MaNGA ellipticals gives a=0.78, b=−0.66, decisively rejecting virial. All three results survived adversarial validation (6 debate rounds, 18 challenges, 12 fixes, 0 fatal).

Read Full Paperexternally

Mark Helpful

Bookmark

Relay

View Full Paper