Standard Model Extension Parameter Research Articles

Improved constraints on anisotropic birefringent Lorentz invariance and CPT violation from broadband optical polarimetry of high redshift galaxies

In the framework of the Standard Model Extension (SME), we present improved constraints on anisotropic Lorentz invariance and Charge-Parity-Time (CPT) violation by searching for astrophysical signals of cosmic vacuum birefringence with broadband optical polarimetry of high redshift astronomical sources, including Active Galactic Nuclei and Gamma-Ray Burst afterglows. We generalize the work in Kislat 2018, which studied the SME mass dimension $d = 4$ case, to arbitrary mass dimension for both the CPT-even and CPT-odd cases. We then present constraints on all 10, 16, and 42 anisotropic birefringent SME coefficients for dimension $d = 4$, $d = 5$, and $d = 6$ models, respectively, using 7554 observations for odd d and 7376 observations for even d of 1278 unique sources on the sky, which, to our knowledge, comprises the most complete catalog of optical polarization from extragalactic sources in the literature to date. Compared to the smaller sample of 44 and 45 broadband optical polarimetry observations analyzed in Kislat 2018 and Kislat and Krawczynski 2017, our dimension $d = 4$ and $d = 5$ average constraints are more sensitive by factors of 35 and 10, corresponding to a reduction in allowed SME parameter space volume for these studies of 15 and 16 orders of magnitude, respectively. Constraints from individual lines of sight can be significantly stronger using spectropolarimetry. Nevertheless, due to the increased number of observations and lines of sight in our catalog, our average $d = 4$ and $d = 5$ broadband constraints are within factors of 2 and 12 of previous constraints using spectropolarimetry from Kislat 2018 and Kislat and Krawczynski 2017, respectively, using an independent data set and an improved analysis method. By contrast, our anisotropic constraints on all 42 birefringent SME coefficients for $d = 6$ are the first to be presented in the literature.

Constraints on Lorentz invariance and CPT violation using optical photometry and polarimetry of active galaxies BL Lacertae and S5 B0716+714

Various quantum gravity approaches that extend beyond the standard model predict Lorentz Invariance and Charge-Parity-Time Violation at energies approaching the Planck scale. These models frequently predict a wavelength dependent speed of light, which would result in time delays between promptly emitted photons at different energies, as well as a wavelength-dependent rotation of the plane of linear polarization for photons resulting from vacuum birefringence. Here, we describe a pilot program with an automated system of small telescopes that can simultaneously conduct high cadence optical photometry and polarimetry of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) in multiple passbands. We use these observations as a proof-of-principle to demonstrate how such data can be used to test various Lorentz Violation models, including special cases of the Standard Model Extension (SME). In our initial campaign with this system, the Array Photo Polarimeter, we observed two AGN sources, including BL Lacertae at redshift z = 0.069, and S5 B0716+714 at z = 0.31. We demonstrate that optical polarimetry with a broadband Luminance filter combined with simultaneous $I_c$-band observations yields SME parameter constraints that are up to ~10 and ~30 times more sensitive than with a standard $I_c$-band filter, for SME models with mass dimension d = 5 and d = 6, respectively. Using only a small system of telescopes with an effective 0.45-m aperture, we further demonstrate d = 5 constraints for individual lines of sight that are within a factor of ~1-10 in sensitivity to comparable constraints from optical polarimetry with a 3.6-m telescope. Such an approach could significantly improve existing SME constraints via a polarimetric all-sky survey of AGN with multiple 1-meter class telescopes.

Lorentz Violation of the Photon Sector in Field Theory Models

We compare the Lorentz violation terms of the pure photon sector between two field theory models, namely, the minimal standard model extension (SME) and the standard model supplement (SMS). From the requirement of the identity of the intersection for the two models, we find that the free photon sector of the SMS can be a subset of the photon sector of the minimal SME. We not only obtain some relations between the SME parameters but also get some constraints on the SMS parameters from the SME parameters. The CPT-odd coefficients(kAF)αof the SME are predicted to be zero. There are 15 degrees of freedom in the Lorentz violation matrixΔαβof free photons of the SMS related with the same number of degrees of freedom in the tensor coefficients(kF)αβμν, which are independent from each other in the minimal SME but are interrelated in the intersection of the SMS and the minimal SME. With the related degrees of freedom, we obtain the conservative constraints(2σ)on the elements of the photon Lorentz violation matrix. The detailed structure of the photon Lorentz violation matrix suggests some applications to the Lorentz violation experiments for photons.

Testing Lorentz violation with binary pulsars: constraints on standard model extension

Under the standard model extension (SME) framework, Lorentz invariance is tested in five binary pulsars: PSR J0737−3039, PSR B1534+12, PSR J1756−2251, PSR B1913+16 and PSR B2127+11C. By analyzing the advance of periastron, we obtain the constraints on a dimensionless combination of SME parameters that is sensitive to timing observations. The results imply no evidence for the break of Lorentz invariance at the 10−10 level, one order of magnitude larger than the previous estimation.

Higher order corrections to the hydrogen spectrum from the standard-model extension

We have studied the effects of the standard-model extension (SME) on hydrogen as a realization of new physics effects that incorporate Lorentz and $CPT$ violation. Specifically, we calculated the SME-induced energy level shifts at order ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2}$ times the SME parameters. We obtained contributions at this order both from the nonrelativistic effective Hamiltonian for motion of a spin-$1/2$ particle in the presence of SME interactions and also from SME corrections to the propagator for exchange photons. We applied our result to the $2S\ensuremath{-}1S$ transition in hydrogen, which has been measured with extremely high precision. The results obtained in this work give the leading SME corrections for this transition.

Constraints on the standard model extension with binary pulsars

AbstractUnder the standard model extension (SME) framework, Lorentz invariance is tested in five binary pulsars: PSR J0737-3039, PSR B1534+12, PSR J1756-2251, PSR B1913+16 and PSR B2127+11C. By analyzing the advance of periastron, we obtain the constraints on a dimensionless combination of SME parameters that is sensitive to timing observations. The results imply no evidence for the break of Lorentz invariance at 10−10 level, one order of magnitude larger than previous estimation.

A new limit on Planck scale Lorentz violation from γ-ray burst polarization

Constraints on possible Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) to first order in E/ M Planck for photons in the framework of effective field theory (EFT) are discussed, taking cosmological factors into account. Then, using the reported detection of polarized soft γ-ray emission from the γ-ray burst GRB041219a that is indicative of an absence of vacuum birefringence, together with a very recent improved method for estimating the redshift of the burst, we derive constraints on the dimension 5 Lorentz violating modification to the Lagrangian of an effective local QFT for QED. Our new constraints are more than five orders of magnitude better than recent constraints from observations of the Crab Nebula. We obtain the upper limit on the Lorentz violating dimension 5 EFT parameter ∣ ξ∣ of 2.4 × 10 −15, corresponding to a constraint on the dimension 5 standard model extension parameter, k ( V ) 00 ( 5 ) ⩽ 4.2 × 10 - 34 GeV −1.

One-loop renormalization of the electroweak sector with Lorentz violation

The one-loop renormalizability of the electroweak sector of the standard model extension (SME) with Lorentz violation is studied. Functional determinants are used to calculate the one-loop contributions of the Higgs, gauge bosons and fermions to the one-loop effective action. The results are consistent with multiplicative renormalization of the SME coupling constants. Conventional electroweak symmetry breaking is effectively unaltered relative to the standard case as the renormalized SME parameters are sufficient to absorb all infinite contributions.

Testing for Lorentz Violation: Constraints on Standard-Model-Extension Parameters via Lunar Laser Ranging

We present constraints on violations of Lorentz invariance based on archival lunar laser-ranging (LLR) data. LLR measures the Earth-Moon separation by timing the round-trip travel of light between the two bodies and is currently accurate to the equivalent of a few centimeters (parts in 10(11) of the total distance). By analyzing this LLR data under the standard-model extension (SME) framework, we derived six observational constraints on dimensionless SME parameters that describe potential Lorentz violation. We found no evidence for Lorentz violation at the 10(-6) to 10(-11) level in these parameters. This work constitutes the first LLR constraints on SME parameters.

Cold Atom Clock Test of Lorentz Invariance in the Matter Sector

We report on a new experiment that tests for a violation of Lorentz invariance (LI), by searching for a dependence of atomic transition frequencies on the orientation of the spin of the involved states (Hughes-Drever type experiment). The atomic frequencies are measured using a laser cooled 133Cs atomic fountain clock, operating on a particular combination of Zeeman substates. We analyze the results within the framework of the Lorentz violating standard model extension (SME), where our experiment is sensitive to a largely unexplored region of the SME parameter space, corresponding to first measurements of four proton parameters and improvements by 11 and 13 orders of magnitude on the determination of four others. In spite of the attained uncertainties, and of having extended the search into a new region of the SME, we still find no indication of LI violation.