Galaxy rotation curves in $f(R,\phi)$-gravity

Understand

We investigate the possibility to explain theoretically the galaxy rotation curves by a gravitational potential in total absence of dark matter.

• To this aim an analytic fourth-order theory of gravity, nonminimally coupled with a massive scalar field is considered.
• Specifically, the interaction term is given by an analytic function $f(R,\phi)$ where $R$ is the Ricci scalar and $\phi$ is the scalar field.
• The gravitational potential is generated by a point-like source and compared with the so called Sanders's potential that can be exactly reproduced in this case.