The Phenomenological Scaling Relations of Disk Galaxies

A conservative scaling model based on Newton’s law of circular motion and the virial theorem is proposed. Employing dimensionless scaling relations, a physical solution to the Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation (BTFR) is obtained and the origin of the Radial Acceleration Relation (RAR) is provided. A simple model of the Milky Way’s dynamics reveals excellent agreement with recent Gaia DR2 kinematical results.