The spherical shell theorem yields only in spherical geometry. A razor-thin axisymmetric disc instead requires , including forces from exterior annuli. The interior gravitational force of an exterior thin ring gives a concrete counterexample with identical enclosed mass but different circular speeds.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 320 4 e Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
False. The enclosed-mass formula is a consequence of the spherical shell theorem. In a spherical galaxy, exterior shells exert no radial force and interior mass acts as though concentrated at the centre, giving .
A razor-thin axisymmetric disc instead hasBoth interior and exterior annuli contribute to that derivative. Its geometry is not determined by .
A concrete counterexample compares a central point mass plus an exterior spherical shell with the same point mass plus a thin circular ring of mass and radius . Their enclosed-mass profiles are identical: inside , and outside. The interior gravitational force of an exterior thin ring follows by expanding its angularly averaged relative potential:For , the ring's acceleration is outward, , whereas the spherical shell's acceleration is zero. With large enough to retain circular orbits, the disc-side speed isA narrow smooth annulus gives the same distinction. This proves that enclosed mass does not determine a disc rotation curve, even when the mass profiles of the spherical and disc models agree.