Constraining Photon Mass by Energy-Dependent Gravitational Light Bending

TL;DR

This paper investigates the possibility of a non-zero photon mass by analyzing energy-dependent gravitational lensing data, providing an upper limit on photon mass at cosmological scales and discussing future observational prospects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel cosmological test of photon mass using gravitational lensing data, setting an upper limit and highlighting potential improvements with future instruments.

Findings

Upper limit of photon mass: 8.71×10⁻³⁹ g from gravitational lensing

Photon mass constraints are weaker than laboratory bounds but applicable at cosmological scales

Future high-precision astrometry could tighten these constraints

Abstract

In the standard model of particle physics, photons are mass-less particles with a particular dispersion relation. Tests of this claim at different scales are both interesting and important. Experiments in territory labs and several exterritorial tests have put some upper limits on photon mass, e.g. torsion balance experiment in the lab shows that photon mass should be smaller than $1.2\times 10^{-51}\rm g$. In this work, this claim is tested at a cosmological scale by looking at strong gravitational lensing data available and an upper limit of $8.71\times 10^{-39}$g on photon mass was given. Observations of energy-dependent gravitational lensing with not yet available higher accuracy astrometry instruments may constrain photon mass better.