Related papers: High-Energy gamma-ray Astronomy and String Theory
Lorentz violation (LV) is predicted by some quantum gravity theories, where photon dispersion relation is modified, and the speed of light becomes energy-dependent. Consequently, it results in a tiny time delay between high energy photons…
A cornerstone of special relativity is Lorentz Invariance, the postulate that all observers measure exactly the same photon speeds independently on the photon energies. However, a hypothesized structure of spacetime may alter this…
Gamma-ray astronomy has become one of the main experimental ways to test the modified dispersion relations (MDRs) of photons in vacuum, obtained in some attempts to formulate a theory of Quantum Gravity. The MDRs in use imply time delays…
From recent observations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), it appears that spectral time lags between higher-energy gamma rays photons and lower-energy photons vary with energy difference and time (distance) traveled. These lags appear to be…
I discuss some theoretical ideas concerning the representation of quantum gravity as a Lorentz-symmetry-violating `medium' with non-trivial optical properties, which include a refractive index in `vacuo' and stochastic effects associated…
Lorentz invariance violation (LV) is examined through the time delay between high-energy and low-energy photons in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Previous studies determined the LV energy scale as $E_{\rm LV} \simeq 3.60 \times 10^{17}$~GeV using…
The effect of quantum gravity can bring a tiny light speed variation which is detectable through energetic photons propagating from gamma ray bursts (GRBs) to an observer such as the space observatory. Through an analysis of the energetic…
The constancy of light speed is a basic assumption in Einstein's special relativity, and consequently the Lorentz invariance is a fundamental symmetry of space-time in modern physics. However, it is speculated that the speed of light…
Despite the fact that quantum gravity theory still remains elusive, it is generally expected that it will bring the picture of a space-time foam at short distances leading to Lorenz Invariance Violation (LIV) manifested e.g. by energy…
Our knowledge of the high-energy universe is undergoing a period of rapid change as new astronomical detectors of high-energy radiation start to operate at their design sensitivities. Now is a boomtime for high-energy astrophysics, with new…
Lorentz invariance is such a basic principle in fundamental physics that it must be constantly tested and that any proposal of its violation and breakdown of CPT symmetry, that might characterize some approaches to quantum gravity, should…
We propose a model in which an energy-dependent time delay of a photon originates from space-time non-commutativity, the time delay is due to a noncommutative coupling between dilaton and photon. We predict that in our model, high energy…
It was recently proposed that predictions of Lorentz-breaking space-time foam models from string theory may be compatible with the suggestion of light-speed variation from gamma-ray burst studies. Our analysis of foam-modified kinematics…
Positive lags between the arrival time of different photon energies are commonly observed in Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), where soft photons lag behind harder ones. However, some GRBs exhibit the opposite behavior. In particular, Fermi LAT…
We process the Fermi LAT data on GRB130427A using the Fermi Science Tools, and we summarize some of the key facts that render this observation truly remarkable, especially concerning the quality of information on high-energy emission by…
Models of quantum gravity suggest that the vacuum should be regarded as a medium with quantum structure that may have non-trivial effects on photon propagation, including the violation of Lorentz invariance. Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT)…
Stochastic acceleration of cosmic rays in second order Fermi processes is usually considered too slow to reach ultra-high energies, except in specific cases. In this paper we present the energy spectrum obtained from second order Fermi…
We analyze the MeV/GeV emission from four bright Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) observed by the Fermi-Large Area Telescope to produce robust, stringent constraints on a dependence of the speed of light in vacuo on the photon energy (vacuum…
The Universe is largely transparent to $\gamma$ rays in the GeV energy range, making these high-energy photons valuable for exploring energetic processes in the cosmos. After seven years of operation, the Fermi {\it Gamma-ray Space…
Recently, the {\it{Fermi}} space telescope has discovered two large $\gamma$-ray emission regions, the so-called "Fermi bubbles", that extend up to $\sim 50^\circ$ above and below the Galactic center. The $\gamma$-ray emission from the…