Macroscopic Objects in Theories with Energy-dependent Speeds of Light

TL;DR

This paper explores how macroscopic objects behave in theories where the speed of light depends on energy, focusing on the implications for interactions with high-energy photons in quantum gravity models.

Contribution

It discusses the macroscopic limits of energy-dependent speed of light theories, addressing how large-mass objects with low energy per particle behave in these models.

Findings

Insights into the macroscopic behavior of objects in energy-dependent light speed theories

Implications for detector and emitter interactions with high-energy photons

Clarification of the macroscopic limits relevant for quantum gravity phenomenology

Abstract

Energy-dependent speeds of light have been considered an observable signature of quantum gravity effects. The two simplest dispersion relationships produce either linear or quadratic corrections, in particle energy, to the photon speed. The macroscopic limits of these theories -- how objects with small energy per particle, but with large mass, behave -- are not fully understood. We here briefly discuss some features of the macroscopic limit, that are necessary for understanding how detectors and emitters interact with the high-energy photons that probe spacetime.