A significant advance in cosmology has been made by Dr. Robert K. Nesbet from the IBM Almaden Research Center, with his proposal of a theory combining several key elements of physics into a unified approach to cosmic expansion and galaxy rotation. His work, published in Symmetry, builds on historical foundations while offering a fresh perspective on the universe’s structure, notably addressing problems traditionally solved by invoking dark matter.
The Conformal Theory of Gravitation draws on three distinct elements, each with its origins. The first component, Conformal Gravity, was introduced by Hermann Weyl in 1918, aiming to unify gravitation and electromagnetism. Though Weyl’s original goal was unsuccessful, the theory was revived by P.D. Mannheim in later decades. Mannheim, along with D. Kazanas, applied it to the issue of galactic rotation in 1989. Dr. Nesbet emphasizes the importance of Mannheim’s contribution: “Mannheim deserves full credit for resurrecting this pivotal idea of conformal symmetry.”
The second component is the Conformal Higgs Model, a concept introduced by Dr. Nesbet in 2011. This model extends the conformal symmetry framework to explain the cosmic Hubble expansion, a phenomenon traditionally attributed to dark energy. As Dr. Nesbet explains, “The Higgs field in our conformal model naturally behaves like a cosmological constant,” offering a new approach to understanding the accelerating expansion of the universe.
The third element, the Depleted Galactic Halo Model, was proposed by Dr. Nesbet in 2015. This model addresses the gravitational effects within the halos of galaxies—regions previously thought to be dominated by dark matter. According to Nesbet’s theory, these halos could actually result from the condensation of background mass, eliminating the need for invisible dark matter.
A central feature of this theory is that it provides a new explanation for the unexpected behavior of galaxies. Normally, according to Newtonian physics, stars farther from a galaxy’s center should orbit more slowly. Yet observations reveal that stars at the galaxy’s outer edges rotate at nearly constant speeds, leading to the hypothesis of dark matter. Conformal Gravity explains this without needing dark matter by proposing that conformal symmetry changes how gravity operates on a galactic scale.
These ideas also offer an alternative explanation for the universe’s accelerating expansion. Traditional models rely on the mysterious force of dark energy, but Nesbet’s conformal model suggests that the Higgs field could provide a more straightforward explanation. This idea not only challenges existing paradigms but also has implications for the role of the Higgs boson, the particle discovered in 2012. The Conformal Higgs Model potentially offers a bridge between quantum mechanics and cosmology, contributing to a long-sought unified theory.
Dr. Nesbet’s work simplifies the existing cosmological models by proposing that the universe’s expansion and galactic rotation can be explained through well-established physical principles, without requiring new and undetected forces. If validated, this approach could fundamentally alter our understanding of the universe, eliminating the need for dark matter and dark energy—concepts that have puzzled scientists for decades.
As Dr. Nesbet puts it, “This theory allows us to explain many puzzling cosmic observations without resorting to unknown forces or particles.” He emphasizes that the core idea—conformal symmetry—applies universally, governing the behavior of both elementary particles and large-scale cosmic structures. This unification could be a significant step toward a more complete understanding of the universe.
Despite the promising results, further research is needed to confirm the validity of these theories. Detailed observations of galactic rotations and further refinements to models of the universe’s expansion will be crucial in determining whether Dr. Nesbet’s ideas can fully replace the dark matter and dark energy models.
Journal Reference
Nesbet, R.K. “Conformal Theory of Gravitation and Cosmic Expansion.” Symmetry, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16010003
About the Author
Robert K. Nesbet, born March 10, 1930 in Cleveland, Ohio, obtained his BA in physics from Harvard College in 1951 and his PhD in 1954 from the University of Cambridge, supported at St. John’s College as a Henry Fellow and NSF Predoctoral Fellow. He was a research associate at MIT for two years, before becoming Assistant Professor of Physics at Boston University. He did research at RIAS, Martin Company, Baltimore, the Institut Pasteur, Paris, and Brookhaven National Laboratory before becoming a Research Staff Member at IBM, San Jose, California (later Almaden Research Center) in 1962. He was Associate Editor of the Journal of Computational Physics and the Journal of Chemical Physics between 1969 and 1974, and a visiting professor at several universities throughout the world. Professor Nesbet officially retired in 1994, but has continued his research since then, shifting its focus from interacting electrons to galactic astrophysics and cosmology. He has more than 300 publications in computational physics, atomic and molecular physics, theoretical chemistry, solid-state physics, cosmology, and gravitational theory. He is author or coauthor of several books, including “Variational principles and methods in theoretical physics and chemistry”, Cambridge University Press 2003.
