Stringent neutron-star limits on large extra dimensions

Supernovae (SNe) are copious sources for Kaluza-Klein (KK) gravitons which are generic for theories with large extra dimensions. These massive particles are produced with average velocities approximately 0.5c so that many of them are gravitationally retained by the SN core. Every neutron star thus has a halo of KK gravitons which decay into nu(nu), e(+)e(-), and gammagamma on time scales approximately 10(9) years. The EGRET gamma-flux limits (E(gamma) approximately 100 MeV) for nearby neutron stars constrain the compactification scale for n = 2 extra dimensions to M > or = 500 TeV, and M > or = 30 TeV for n = 3. The requirement that neutron stars are not excessively heated by KK decays implies M > or = 1700 TeV for n = 2, and M > or = 60 TeV for n = 3.