Constraints on quantum gravity and the photon mass from gamma ray bursts

D. J. Bartlett, H. Desmond, P. G. Ferreira, and J. Jasche
Phys. Rev. D 104, 103516 – Published 17 November 2021

Abstract

Lorentz invariance violation in quantum gravity (QG) models or a nonzero photon mass, mγ, would lead to an energy-dependent propagation speed for photons, such that photons of different energies from a distant source would arrive at different times, even if they were emitted simultaneously. By developing source-by-source, Monte Carlo-based forward models for such time delays from gamma ray bursts, and marginalizing over empirical noise models describing other contributions to the time delay, we derive constraints on mγ and the QG length scale, QG, using spectral lag data from the BATSE satellite. We find mγ<4.0×105heV/c2 and QG<5.3×1018hGeV1 at 95% confidence, and demonstrate that these constraints are robust to the choice of noise model. The QG constraint is among the tightest from studies which consider multiple gamma ray bursts and the constraint on mγ, although weaker than from using radio data, provides an independent constraint which is less sensitive to the effects of dispersion by electrons.

  • Figure
  • Received 16 September 2021
  • Accepted 19 October 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.104.103516

© 2021 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Gravitation, Cosmology & AstrophysicsParticles & Fields

Authors & Affiliations

D. J. Bartlett1,*, H. Desmond1, P. G. Ferreira1, and J. Jasche2

  • 1Astrophysics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
  • 2The Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Centre, SE 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden

  • *deaglan.bartlett@physics.ox.ac.uk

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Vol. 104, Iss. 10 — 15 November 2021

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