Overview

• University of Ottawa physicist Rajendra Gupta reports that slowly varying fundamental coupling constants introduce an effective parameter α that mimics unseen components in gravity.
• Using this framework, the paper reproduces flat rotation curves for seven galaxies without invoking dark matter halos, with the extra pull tied to local matter distribution.
• The analysis identifies a predicted “turn‑off density” where α‑effects become significant, varying by about a factor of four across the sample despite large differences in galaxy size.
• Gupta contends the approach could also account for galaxy clustering and gravitational lensing and says tests on lensing and galaxy cluster dynamics are planned.
• Coverage notes strong skepticism given tight observational limits on varying constants, including quasar spectra, and highlights that the hypothesis must match the breadth of evidence explained by ΛCDM.