Testing Lorentz invariance of electrons with LHAASO observations of PeV gamma-rays from the Crab Nebula

TL;DR

This paper uses recent PeV gamma-ray observations from the Crab Nebula to set stringent limits on Lorentz invariance violation in electron dispersion relations, supporting certain quantum gravity models.

Contribution

It provides the most stringent bounds to date on linear-order Lorentz invariance violation for electrons using LHAASO data, constraining quantum gravity inspired models.

Findings

LV effects on electrons are severely constrained.

Results are compatible with some quantum gravity models.

Supports the idea that certain LV phenomenologies are viable.

Abstract

The Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory~(LHAASO) recently reported the detection of gamma-ray emissions with energies up to $1.1~\textrm{PeV}$ from the Crab Nebula. Using the absence of vacuum Cherenkov effect by inverse-Compton electrons, we improve previous bounds to linear-order Lorentz invariance violation (LV) in the dispersion relations of electrons by $10^{4}$ times. We show that the LV effect on electrons is severely constrained, compatible with certain type of LV as expected by some models of quantum gravity~(QG), such as the string/D-brane inspired space-time foam. We argue that such models are supported by the Crab Nebula constraints from the LHAASO observations, as well as various LV phenomenologies for photons to date.