Does a Kalb-Ramond field make spacetime optically active

TL;DR

This paper explores how a Kalb-Ramond field inducing spacetime torsion can cause optical activity in synchrotron radiation, potentially explaining observed polarization asymmetries in distant radio sources and implications for string theory.

Contribution

It proposes a novel mechanism linking Kalb-Ramond fields to optical activity in astrophysical observations, connecting string theory concepts with observable polarization effects.

Findings

Kalb-Ramond fields can induce optical activity in spacetime.

The model explains polarization asymmetries in distant radio sources.

Implications for heterotic string theory are discussed.

Abstract

A spacetime with torsion produced by a Kalb-Ramond field coupled gravitationally to the Maxwell field, in accordance with a recent proposal by two of us (PM and SS), is argued to lead to an optical activity in synchrotron radiation from cosmologically distant radio sources. We suggest that this could qualitatively explain observational data from a large number of radio sources displaying such polarization asymmetry (after eliminating effects of Faraday rotation due to magnetized galactic plasma). Possible implications for heterotic string theory are also outlined.