Quantum gravity and spin 1/2 particles effective dynamics

TL;DR

This paper derives effective dynamics for spin-1/2 particles within loop quantum gravity, predicting Planck-scale corrections such as modified dispersion relations and flavor oscillations, which could be tested by high-energy astrophysical neutrino observations.

Contribution

It introduces a new effective framework for fermions in loop quantum gravity, including a parameter to account for unknown quantum gravity scaling effects.

Findings

Modified dispersion relations for fermions at Planck scale

Potential neutrino flavor oscillations due to quantum gravity effects

Testable predictions with high-energy astrophysical neutrinos

Abstract

Quantum gravity phenomenology opens up the possibility of probing Planck scale physics. Thus, by exploiting the generic properties that a semiclassical state of the compound system fermions plus gravity should have, an effective dynamics of spin-1/2 particles is obtained within the framework of loop quantum gravity. Namely, at length scales much larger than Planck length and below the wave length of the fermion, the spin-1/2 dynamics in flat spacetime includes Planck scale corrections. In particular we obtain modified dispersion relations in vacuo for fermions. These corrections yield a time of arrival delay of the spin 1/2 particles with respect to a light signal and, in the case of neutrinos, a novel flavor oscillation. To detect these effects the corresponding particles must be highly energetic and should travel long distances. Hence Neutrino Bursts accompanying Gamma Ray Bursts or ultra high energy cosmic rays could be considered. Remarkably, future neutrino telescopes may be capable to test such effects. This paper provides a detailed account of the calculations and elaborates on results previously reported in a Letter. These are further amended by introducing a real parameter Upsilon aimed at encoding our lack of knowledge of scaling properties of the gravitational degrees of freedom.