Potential sensitivities to Lorentz violation from nonbirefringent modified Maxwell theory of Auger, HESS, and CTA

TL;DR

This paper discusses how upcoming cosmic-ray and gamma-ray observatories can significantly improve bounds on Lorentz violation parameters in modified Maxwell theory, surpassing current laboratory limits.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of how future high-energy astrophysical observations can set stringent bounds on Lorentz-violating parameters in nonbirefringent modified Maxwell theory.

Findings

Potential to bound anisotropic parameters at 10^{-20} level.

Upper bounds on isotropic parameter at 10^{-20} level.

Lower bounds on isotropic parameter at 10^{-16} level.

Abstract

Present and future ultra-high-energy-cosmic-ray facilities (e.g., the South and North components of the Pierre Auger Observatory) and TeV-gamma-ray telescope arrays (e.g., HESS and CTA) have the potential to set stringent bounds on the nine Lorentz-violating parameters of nonbirefringent modified Maxwell theory minimally coupled to standard Dirac theory. A concrete example is given how to obtain, in the coming decennia, two-sided bounds on the eight anisotropic parameters at the 10^{-20} level and an upper (lower) bound on the single isotropic parameter at the +10^{-20} (-10^{-16}) level. Comparison is made with existing and potential direct bounds from laboratory experiments.