Abstract
Recent tentative experimental indications, and the subsequent theoretical speculations, regarding possible violations of Lorentz invariance have attracted a vast amount of attention. An important technical issue that considerably complicates detailed calculations in any such scenario, is that once one violates Lorentz invariance the analysis of thresholds in both scattering and decay processes becomes extremely subtle, with many new and naively unexpected effects. In the current article we develop several extremely general threshold theorems that depend only on the existence of some energy momentum relation E(p), eschewing even assumptions of isotropy or monotonicity. We shall argue that there are physically interesting situations where such a level of generality is called for, and that existing (partial) results in the literature make unnecessary technical assumptions. Even in this most general of settings, we show that at threshold all final state particles move with the same 3-velocity, while initial state particles must have 3-velocities parallel/anti-parallel to the final state particles. In contrast the various 3-momenta can behave in a complicatedand counter-intuitive manner.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
OPERA collaboration, T. Adam et al., Measurement of the neutrino velocity with the OPERA detector in the CNGS beam, arXiv:1109.4897 [INSPIRE].
MINOS collaboration, P. Adamson et al., Measurement of neutrino velocity with the MINOS detectors and NuMI neutrino beam, Phys. Rev. D 76 (2007) 072005 [arXiv:0706.0437] [INSPIRE].
G. Amelino-Camelia et al., OPERA-reassessing data on the energy dependence of the speed of neutrinos, Int. J. Mod. Phys. D 20 (2011) 2623 [arXiv:1109.5172] [INSPIRE].
G.F. Giudice, S. Sibiryakov and A. Strumia, Interpreting OPERA results on superluminal neutrino, Nucl. Phys. B in press, arXiv:1109.5682 [INSPIRE].
A.G. Cohen and S.L. Glashow, Pair Creation Constrains Superluminal Neutrino Propagation, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107 (2011) 181803 [arXiv:1109.6562] [INSPIRE].
G. Dvali and A. Vikman, Price for Environmental Neutrino-Superluminality, JHEP 02 (2012)134 [arXiv:1109.5685] [INSPIRE].
J. Alexandre, J. Ellis and N.E. Mavromatos, On the Possibility of Superluminal Neutrino Propagation, Phys. Lett. B 706 (2012) 456 [arXiv:1109.6296] [INSPIRE].
G. Cacciapaglia, A. Deandrea and L. Panizzi, Superluminal neutrinos in long baseline experiments and SN1987a, JHEP 11 (2011) 137 [arXiv:1109.4980] [INSPIRE].
X.-J. Bi, P.-F. Yin, Z.-H. Yu and Q. Yuan, Constraints and tests of the OPERA superluminal neutrinos, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107 (2011) 241802 [arXiv:1109.6667] [INSPIRE].
F. Klinkhamer, Superluminal muon-neutrino velocity from a Fermi-point-splitting model of Lorentz violation, arXiv:1109.5671 [INSPIRE].
S.S. Gubser, Superluminal neutrinos and extra dimensions: Constraints from the null energy condition, Phys. Lett. B 705 (2011) 279 [arXiv:1109.5687] [INSPIRE].
A. Kehagias, Relativistic Superluminal Neutrinos, arXiv:1109.6312 [INSPIRE].
P. Wang, H. Wu and H. Yang, Superluminal neutrinos and domain walls, arXiv:1109.6930 [INSPIRE].
E.N. Saridakis, Superluminal neutrinos in Hořava-Lifshitz gravity, arXiv:1110.0697 [INSPIRE].
W. Winter, Constraints on the interpretation of the superluminal motion of neutrinos at OPERA, Phys. Rev. D 85 (2012) 017301 [arXiv:1110.0424] [INSPIRE].
J. Alexandre, Lifshitz-type Quantum Field Theories in Particle Physics, Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 26 (2011) 4523 [arXiv:1109.5629] [INSPIRE].
F. Klinkhamer and G. Volovik, Superluminal neutrino and spontaneous breaking of Lorentz invariance, Pisma Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 94 (2011) 731 [arXiv:1109.6624] [INSPIRE].
R. Cowsik, S. Nussinov and U. Sarkar, Superluminal Neutrinos at OPERA Confront Pion Decay Kinematics, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107 (2011) 251801 [arXiv:1110.0241] [INSPIRE].
L. Maccione, S. Liberati and D.M. Mattingly, Violations of Lorentz invariance in the neutrino sector after OPERA, arXiv:1110.0783 [INSPIRE].
N. Dass, OPERA, SN1987a and energy dependence of superluminal neutrino velocity, arXiv:1110.0351 [INSPIRE].
J. Carmona and J. Cortes, Constraints from Neutrino Decay on Superluminal Velocities, arXiv:1110.0430 [INSPIRE].
S.R. Coleman and S.L. Glashow, Cosmic ray and neutrino tests of special relativity, Phys. Lett. B 405 (1997) 249 [hep-ph/9703240] [INSPIRE].
S.R. Coleman and S.L. Glashow, High-energy tests of Lorentz invariance, Phys. Rev. D 59 (1999)116008 [hep-ph/9812418] [INSPIRE].
S. Liberati, T. Jacobson and D. Mattingly, High-energy constraints on Lorentz symmetry violations, hep-ph/0110094 [INSPIRE].
T. Jacobson, S. Liberati and D. Mattingly, TeV astrophysics constraints on Planck scale Lorentz violation, Phys. Rev. D 66 (2002) 081302 [hep-ph/0112207] [INSPIRE].
T. Jacobson, S. Liberati and D. Mattingly, Threshold effects and Planck scale Lorentz violation: Combined constraints from high-energy astrophysics, Phys. Rev. D 67 (2003) 124011 [hep-ph/0209264] [INSPIRE].
D. Mattingly, T. Jacobson and S. Liberati, Threshold configurations in the presence of Lorentz violating dispersion relations, Phys. Rev. D 67 (2003) 124012 [hep-ph/0211466] [INSPIRE].
T. Jacobson, S. Liberati and D. Mattingly, A Strong astrophysical constraint on the violation of special relativity by quantum gravity, Nature 424 (2003) 1019 [astro-ph/0212190] [INSPIRE].
T. Jacobson, S. Liberati and D. Mattingly, Comments on ’Improved limit on quantum space-time modifications of Lorentz symmetry from observations of gamma-ray blazars’, gr-qc/0303001 [INSPIRE].
T.A. Jacobson, S. Liberati, D. Mattingly and F. Stecker, New limits on Planck scale Lorentz violation in QED, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 (2004) 021101 [astro-ph/0309681] [INSPIRE].
T. Jacobson, S. Liberati and D. Mattingly, Quantum gravity phenomenology and Lorentz violation, Springer Proc. Phys. 98 (2005) 83 [gr-qc/0404067] [INSPIRE].
T. Jacobson, S. Liberati and D. Mattingly, Astrophysical bounds on Planck suppressed Lorentz violation, Lect. Notes Phys. 669 (2005) 101 [hep-ph/0407370] [INSPIRE].
T. Jacobson, S. Liberati and D. Mattingly, Lorentz violation at high energy: Concepts, phenomena and astrophysical constraints, Annals Phys. 321 (2006) 150 [astro-ph/0505267] [INSPIRE].
D. Mattingly, Modern tests of Lorentz invariance, Living Rev. Rel. 8 (2005) 5 [gr-qc/0502097] [INSPIRE].
D. Colladay and V. Kostelecky, Lorentz violating extension of the standard model, Phys. Rev. D 58 (1998) 116002 [hep-ph/9809521] [INSPIRE].
V. Kostelecky and S. Samuel, Spontaneous Breaking of Lorentz Symmetry in String Theory, Phys. Rev. D 39 (1989) 683 [INSPIRE].
V. Kostelecky, Gravity, Lorentz violation and the standard model, Phys. Rev. D 69 (2004) 105009 [hep-th/0312310] [INSPIRE].
V. Kostelecky and R. Lehnert, Stability, causality and Lorentz and CPT violation, Phys. Rev. D 63 (2001) 065008 [hep-th/0012060] [INSPIRE].
V. Kostelecky and M. Mewes, Signals for Lorentz violation in electrodynamics, Phys. Rev. D 66 (2002)056005 [hep-ph/0205211] [INSPIRE].
V. Kostelecky and M. Mewes, Lorentz and CPT violation in neutrinos, Phys. Rev. D 69 (2004)016005 [hep-ph/0309025] [INSPIRE].
V. Kostelecky and C.D. Lane, Constraints on Lorentz violation from clock comparison experiments, Phys. Rev. D 60 (1999) 116010 [hep-ph/9908504] [INSPIRE].
V. Kostelecky and M. Mewes, Cosmological constraints on Lorentz violation in electrodynamics, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 (2001) 251304 [hep-ph/0111026] [INSPIRE].
D. Bear, R. Stoner, R. Walsworth, V. Kostelecky and C.D. Lane, Limit on Lorentz and CPT violation of the neutron using a two species noble gas maser, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 (2000) 5038 [Erratum ibid. 89 (2002) 209902] [physics/0007049] [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi, Renormalization And Lorentz Symmetry Violation, PoS(CLAQG08)010.
D. Anselmi and D. Buttazzo, Distance Between Quantum Field Theories As A Measure Of Lorentz Violation, Phys. Rev. D 84 (2011) 036012 [arXiv:1105.4209] [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi, Renormalization of Lorentz violating theories, Prepared for 4th Meeting on CPT and Lorentz Symmetry, Bloomington, Indiana, 8-11 Aug 2007 [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi and M. Taiuti, Vacuum Cherenkov Radiation In Quantum Electrodynamics With High-Energy Lorentz Violation, Phys. Rev. D 83 (2011) 056010 [arXiv:1101.2019] [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi and E. Ciuffoli, Low-energy Phenomenology Of Scalarless Standard-Model Extensions With High-Energy Lorentz Violation, Phys. Rev. D 83 (2011) 056005 [arXiv:1101.2014] [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi and E. Ciuffoli, Renormalization Of High-Energy Lorentz Violating Four Fermion Models, Phys. Rev. D 81 (2010) 085043 [arXiv:1002.2704] [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi and M. Taiuti, Renormalization Of High-Energy Lorentz Violating QED, Phys. Rev. D 81 (2010) 085042 [arXiv:0912.0113] [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi, Standard Model Without Elementary Scalars And High Energy Lorentz Violation, Eur. Phys. J. C 65 (2010) 523 [arXiv:0904.1849] [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi, Weighted power counting, neutrino masses and Lorentz violating extensions of the Standard Model, Phys. Rev. D 79 (2009) 025017 [arXiv:0808.3475] [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi, Weighted power counting and Lorentz violating gauge theories. II. Classification, Annals Phys. 324 (2009) 1058 [arXiv:0808.3474] [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi, Weighted power counting and Lorentz violating gauge theories. I. General properties, Annals Phys. 324 (2009) 874 [arXiv:0808.3470] [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi, Weighted scale invariant quantum field theories, JHEP 02 (2008) 051 [arXiv:0801.1216] [INSPIRE].
D. Anselmi and M. Halat, Renormalization of Lorentz violating theories, Phys. Rev. D 76 (2007)125011 [arXiv:0707.2480] [INSPIRE].
P. Hořava, Quantum Gravity at a Lifshitz Point, Phys. Rev. D 79 (2009) 084008 [arXiv:0901.3775] [INSPIRE].
M. Visser, Lorentz symmetry breaking as a quantum field theory regulator, Phys. Rev. D 80 (2009)025011 [arXiv:0902.0590] [INSPIRE].
M. Visser, Power-counting renormalizability of generalized Hořava gravity, arXiv:0912.4757 [INSPIRE].
T.P. Sotiriou, M. Visser and S. Weinfurtner, Quantum gravity without Lorentz invariance, JHEP 10 (2009) 033 [arXiv:0905.2798] [INSPIRE].
T.P. Sotiriou, M. Visser and S. Weinfurtner, Phenomenologically viable Lorentz-violating quantum gravity, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102 (2009) 251601 [arXiv:0904.4464] [INSPIRE].
S. Weinfurtner, T.P. Sotiriou and M. Visser, Projectable Hořava-Lifshitz gravity in a nutshell, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 222 (2010) 012054 [arXiv:1002.0308] [INSPIRE].
M. Visser, Status of Hořava gravity: A personal perspective, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 314 (2011) 012002 [arXiv:1103.5587] [INSPIRE].
S. Judes and M. Visser, Conservation laws in ’Doubly special relativity’, Phys. Rev. D 68 (2003)045001 [gr-qc/0205067] [INSPIRE].
S. Liberati, S. Sonego and M. Visser, Interpreting doubly special relativity as a modified theory of measurement, Phys. Rev. D 71 (2005) 045001 [gr-qc/0410113] [INSPIRE].
C. Barcelo, S. Liberati and M. Visser, Analogue gravity, Living Rev. Rel. 8 (2005) 12 [gr-qc/0505065] [INSPIRE].
M. Visser, Acoustic black holes: Horizons, ergospheres and Hawking radiation, Class. Quant. Grav. 15 (1998) 1767 [gr-qc/9712010] [INSPIRE].
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
ArXiv ePrint: 1111.6340
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baccetti, V., Tate, K. & Visser, M. Lorentz violating kinematics: threshold theorems. J. High Energ. Phys. 2012, 87 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP03(2012)087
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP03(2012)087