The Alpha Centauri system consists of two close stars, Alpha and Beta, along with the much further Proxima Centauri. While all three stars have similar chemistry and are co-moving, the gravitational dynamics suggest Proxima is not bound to Alpha and Beta due to its fast orbit. Traditional solutions such as dark matter or adjusting the mass of Alpha and Beta do not work. However, a new model called Quantised Inertia (QI) proposes a unique solution by reducing the inertia of low-acceleration stars at the galaxies’ edge, potentially explaining the galaxy rotation problem without the need for dark matter. This innovative approach applies QI to Proxima Centauri, predicting its observed orbital velocity without requiring extra mass.
https://academic.oup.com/mnrasl/advance-article/doi/10.1093/mnrasl/slae047/7682393