Sensitive polarimetric search for relativity violations in gamma-ray bursts

Area of Science:

• Astrophysics
• Particle Physics
• Cosmology

Background:

• Lorentz invariance is a cornerstone of Einstein's theory of relativity.
• Potential violations of Lorentz invariance could manifest as energy-dependent photon propagation.
• Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are powerful cosmic explosions emitting high-energy photons across vast distances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test for energy-dependent photon propagation, a signature of potential Lorentz invariance violation.
• To constrain the energy scale at which Lorentz invariance might break down.
• To utilize recent gamma-ray polarization data for stringent fundamental physics tests.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of linear polarization measurements of gamma rays from specific gamma-ray bursts (GRBs).
• Comparison of observed polarization with predictions from theoretical models incorporating potential Lorentz violations.
• Statistical analysis to derive upper limits on the energy scale of Lorentz violation.

Main Results:

• Recent measurements of linear polarization in gamma rays from GRB 930131 and GRB 960924 were analyzed.
• These measurements constrain certain types of Lorentz invariance violations in photons.
• The derived constraints are below parts in 10^37, improving sensitivity by a factor of 100,000.

Conclusions:

• The study provides the most stringent constraints to date on certain Lorentz invariance violating theories.
• The findings push the energy frontier for testing fundamental physics, supporting Einstein's theory of relativity.
• Future observations with enhanced sensitivity will further probe these fundamental physics questions.