Lorentz violation in extra dimensions

Abstract

In theories with extra dimensions it is well known that the Lorentz invariance of the $D=4+n$-dimensional spacetime is lost due to the compactified nature of the $n$ dimensions leaving invariance only in 4d. In such theories other sources of Lorentz violation may exist associated with the physics that initiated the compactification process at high scales. Here we consider the possibility of capturing some of this physics by analyzing the higher dimensional analog of the model of Colladay and Kostelecky. In that scenario a complete set of Lorentz violating operators arising from spontaneous Lorentz violation, that are not obviously Planck-scale suppressed, are added to the Standard Model action. Here we consider the influence of the analogous set of operators which break Lorentz invariance in 5d within the Universal Extra Dimensions picture. We show that such operators can greatly alter the anticipated Kaluza-Klein(KK) spectra, induce electroweak symmetry breaking at a scale related to the inverse compactification radius, yield sources of parity violation in, e.g., 4d QED/QCD and result in significant violations of KK-parity conservation produced by fermion Yukawa couplings, thus destabilizing the lightest KK particle. LV in 6d is briefly discussed.