Deformed Lorentz symmetry and ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays

May, 1999
4 pages
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199920022005200820110246810
Abstract:
Lorentz symmetry violation (LSV) is often discussed using models of the THϵμTH\epsilon \mu type which involve, basically, energy independent parameters. However, if LSV is generated at the Planck scale or at some other fundamental length scale, it can naturally preserve Lorentz symmetry as a low-energy limit (deformed Lorentz symmetry, DLS). Deformed relativistic kinematics (DRK) would be consistent with special relativity in the limit kk (wave vector)  0\to ~0 and allow for a deformed version of general relativity and gravitation. We present an updated discussion of the possible implications of this pattern for cosmic-ray physics at very high energy. A  106\approx ~10^{-6} LSV at Planck scale, leading to a DLS pattern, would potentially be enough to produce very important observable effects on the properties of cosmic rays at the \approx \~10^{20} eV scale (absence of GZK cutoff, stability of unstable particles, lower interaction rates, kinematical failure of the parton model...). We compare our approach with more recent similar claims made by S. Coleman and S. Glashow from models of the THϵμTH\epsilon \mu type.
  • talk: Salt Lake City 1999/08/17
  • violation: Lorentz
  • kinematics: deformation
  • relativity theory
  • cosmic radiation