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Microwave Photonics Systems Based on Whispering-gallery-mode Resonators
12:18

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Published on: August 5, 2013

How stable is the photon?

Julian Heeck1

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany. julian.heeck@mpi-hd.mpg.de

Physical Review Letters
|July 30, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study explores the implications of a finite photon lifetime, a topic with limited discussion. It establishes a direct lower bound of 3 years for photon lifetime, assuming a maximal photon mass, impacting cosmic microwave background observations.

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Area of Science:

  • Cosmology
  • Particle Physics

Background:

  • A non-zero photon mass is under experimental and theoretical investigation.
  • The implications of a finite photon lifetime remain under-discussed.
  • Experimental constraints on photon mass limit decay products to neutrinos or new particles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of photon mass and lifetime on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) spectrum.
  • To derive model-independent constraints on photon mass and lifetime.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) spectrum of free-streaming photons.
  • Considering modifications to the CMB spectrum induced by photon mass and lifetime.

Main Results:

  • A direct lower bound of 3 years is established for the photon lifetime, contingent on the photon mass being at its conservative upper limit.
  • Under these conditions, the lifetime of microwave photons is time-dilated by a factor of approximately 10^15.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides crucial model-independent constraints on photon mass and lifetime.
  • The findings highlight the importance of considering photon lifetime in cosmological observations, particularly concerning the CMB.