The Superluminal Neutrinos from Deformed Lorentz Invariance

TL;DR

This paper proposes a deformed Lorentz invariance framework to explain superluminal neutrinos consistent with experimental data, resolving theoretical issues like Bremsstrahlung and pion decay constraints.

Contribution

It introduces two scenarios with deformed energy-momentum conservation laws that accommodate superluminal neutrinos without conflicting with standard particle physics processes.

Findings

Superluminal neutrino dispersion relations are compatible with experiments.

Deformed conservation laws prevent forbidden Bremsstrahlung processes.

Theoretical challenges like pion decay constraints are resolved.

Abstract

We study two superluminal neutrino scenarios where \delta v\equiv (v-c)/c is a constant. To be consistent with the OPERA, Borexino, and ICARUS experiments and with the SN1987a observations, we assume that \delta v_{\nu} on the Earth is about three order larger than that on the interstellar scale. To explain the theoretical challenges from the Bremsstrahlung effects and pion decays, we consider the deformed Lorentz invariance, and show that the superluminal neutrino dispersion relations can be realized properly while the modifications to the dispersion relations of the other Standard Model particles can be negligible. In addition, we propose the deformed energy and momentum conservation laws for a generic physical process. In Scenario I the momentum conservation law is preserved while the energy conservation law is deformed. In Scenario II the energy conservation law is preserved while the momentum conservation law is deformed. We present the energy and momentum conservation laws in terms of neutrino momentum in Scenario I and in terms of neutrino energy in Scenario II. In such formats, the energy and momentum conservation laws are exactly the same as those in the traditional quantum field theory with Lorentz symmetry. Thus, all the above theoretical challenges can be automatically solved. We show explicitly that the Bremsstrahlung processes are forbidden and there is no problem for pion decays.