Ultrahigh-Energy Photons as Probes of Lorentz Symmetry Violations in Stringy Space-Time Foam Models

Journal Article · Fri Jul 09 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.105.021101· OSTI ID:21410896

Maccione, Luca ^[1]; Liberati, Stefano ^[2]; Sigl, Guenter ^[3]

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1. DESY, Theory Group, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany)
2. SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste (Italy)
3. II. Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Universitaet Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, D-22761 Hamburg (Germany)

The time delays between {gamma} rays of different energies from extragalactic sources have often been used to probe quantum gravity models in which Lorentz symmetry is violated. It has been claimed that these time delays can be explained by or at least put the strongest available constraints on quantum gravity scenarios that cannot be cast within an effective field theory framework, such as the space-time foam, D-brane model. Here we show that this model would predict too many photons in the ultrahigh energy cosmic ray flux to be consistent with observations. The resulting constraints on the space-time foam model are much stronger than limits from time delays and allow for Lorentz violation effects way too small for explaining the observed time delays.

• OSTI ID: 21410896
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 105; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BOSONS
BRANES
COSMIC RAY FLUX
D-BRANES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FIELD THEORIES
GAMMA RADIATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
M-THEORY
MASSLESS PARTICLES
PHOTONS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
QUANTUM GRAVITY
RADIATION FLUX
RADIATIONS
SPACE-TIME
SYMMETRY BREAKING
TIME DELAY