Neutrino interferometry for high-precision tests of Lorentz symmetry with IceCube

M.G. Aartsen; G. C. Hill; Andreas Kyriakou; S. Robertson; Adam F. Wallace; B. J. Whelan; Mark Ackerman; E. Bernardini; S. Blot; F. Bradascio; H. -P. Bretz; J. Brostean-Kaiser; A. Franckowiak; Eric Jacobi; T. Krag; Etienne Bourbeau; D. Jason Koskinen; Michael James Larson; Morten Ankersen Medici; M Rameez; Thomas Simon Stuttard; Markus Tobias Ahlers; Subir Sarkar

doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0172-2

Neutrino interferometry for high-precision tests of Lorentz symmetry with IceCube

M.G. Aartsen, G. C. Hill, Andreas Kyriakou, S. Robertson, Adam F. Wallace, B. J. Whelan, Mark Ackerman, E. Bernardini, S. Blot, F. Bradascio, H. -P. Bretz, J. Brostean-Kaiser, A. Franckowiak, Eric Jacobi, T. Krag, Etienne Bourbeau, D. Jason Koskinen, Michael James Larson, Morten Ankersen Medici, M RameezThomas Simon Stuttard, Markus Tobias Ahlers, Subir Sarkar

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Lorentz symmetry is a fundamental spacetime symmetry underlying both the standard model of particle physics and general relativity. This symmetry guarantees that physical phenomena are observed to be the same by all inertial observers. However, unified theories, such as string theory, allow for violation of this symmetry by inducing new spacetime structure at the quantum gravity scale. Thus, the discovery of Lorentz symmetry violation could be the first hint of these theories in nature. Here we report the results of the most precise test of spacetime symmetry in the neutrino sector to date. We use high-energy atmospheric neutrinos observed at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory to search for anomalous neutrino oscillations as signals of Lorentz violation. We find no evidence for such phenomena. This allows us to constrain the size of the dimension-four operator in the standard-model extension for Lorentz violation to the 1 0 ^{- 28} level and to set limits on higher-dimensional operators in this framework. These are among the most stringent limits on Lorentz violation set by any physical experiment.

Original language	English
Journal	Nature Physics
Volume	14
Issue number	9
Pages (from-to)	961-969
Number of pages	9
ISSN	1745-2473
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0172-2
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2018

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Aartsen, M. G., Hill, G. C., Kyriakou, A., Robertson, S., Wallace, A. F., Whelan, B. J., Ackerman, M., Bernardini, E., Blot, S., Bradascio, F., Bretz, H. -P., Brostean-Kaiser, J., Franckowiak, A., Jacobi, E., Krag, T., Bourbeau, E., Koskinen, D. J., Larson, M. J., Medici, M. A., ... Sarkar, S. (2018). Neutrino interferometry for high-precision tests of Lorentz symmetry with IceCube. Nature Physics, 14(9), 961-969. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0172-2

Aartsen, MG, Hill, GC, Kyriakou, A, Robertson, S, Wallace, AF, Whelan, BJ, Ackerman, M, Bernardini, E, Blot, S, Bradascio, F, Bretz, H-P, Brostean-Kaiser, J, Franckowiak, A, Jacobi, E, Krag, T, Bourbeau, E, Koskinen, DJ, Larson, MJ, Medici, MA, Rameez, M, Stuttard, TS , Ahlers, MT & Sarkar, S 2018, 'Neutrino interferometry for high-precision tests of Lorentz symmetry with IceCube', Nature Physics, vol. 14, no. 9, pp. 961-969. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0172-2

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title = "Neutrino interferometry for high-precision tests of Lorentz symmetry with IceCube",

abstract = "Lorentz symmetry is a fundamental spacetime symmetry underlying both the standard model of particle physics and general relativity. This symmetry guarantees that physical phenomena are observed to be the same by all inertial observers. However, unified theories, such as string theory, allow for violation of this symmetry by inducing new spacetime structure at the quantum gravity scale. Thus, the discovery of Lorentz symmetry violation could be the first hint of these theories in nature. Here we report the results of the most precise test of spacetime symmetry in the neutrino sector to date. We use high-energy atmospheric neutrinos observed at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory to search for anomalous neutrino oscillations as signals of Lorentz violation. We find no evidence for such phenomena. This allows us to constrain the size of the dimension-four operator in the standard-model extension for Lorentz violation to the 1 0 - 28 level and to set limits on higher-dimensional operators in this framework. These are among the most stringent limits on Lorentz violation set by any physical experiment.",

author = "M.G. Aartsen and Hill, {G. C.} and Andreas Kyriakou and S. Robertson and Wallace, {Adam F.} and Whelan, {B. J.} and Mark Ackerman and E. Bernardini and S. Blot and F. Bradascio and Bretz, {H. -P.} and J. Brostean-Kaiser and A. Franckowiak and Eric Jacobi and T. Krag and Etienne Bourbeau and Koskinen, {D. Jason} and Larson, {Michael James} and Medici, {Morten Ankersen} and M Rameez and Stuttard, {Thomas Simon} and Ahlers, {Markus Tobias} and Subir Sarkar",

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AU - Aartsen, M.G.

AU - Hill, G. C.

AU - Kyriakou, Andreas

AU - Robertson, S.

AU - Wallace, Adam F.

AU - Whelan, B. J.

AU - Ackerman, Mark

AU - Bernardini, E.

AU - Blot, S.

AU - Bradascio, F.

AU - Bretz, H. -P.

AU - Brostean-Kaiser, J.

AU - Franckowiak, A.

AU - Jacobi, Eric

AU - Krag, T.

AU - Bourbeau, Etienne

AU - Koskinen, D. Jason

AU - Larson, Michael James

AU - Medici, Morten Ankersen

AU - Rameez, M

AU - Stuttard, Thomas Simon

AU - Ahlers, Markus Tobias

AU - Sarkar, Subir

PY - 2018/9/1

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N2 - Lorentz symmetry is a fundamental spacetime symmetry underlying both the standard model of particle physics and general relativity. This symmetry guarantees that physical phenomena are observed to be the same by all inertial observers. However, unified theories, such as string theory, allow for violation of this symmetry by inducing new spacetime structure at the quantum gravity scale. Thus, the discovery of Lorentz symmetry violation could be the first hint of these theories in nature. Here we report the results of the most precise test of spacetime symmetry in the neutrino sector to date. We use high-energy atmospheric neutrinos observed at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory to search for anomalous neutrino oscillations as signals of Lorentz violation. We find no evidence for such phenomena. This allows us to constrain the size of the dimension-four operator in the standard-model extension for Lorentz violation to the 1 0 - 28 level and to set limits on higher-dimensional operators in this framework. These are among the most stringent limits on Lorentz violation set by any physical experiment.

AB - Lorentz symmetry is a fundamental spacetime symmetry underlying both the standard model of particle physics and general relativity. This symmetry guarantees that physical phenomena are observed to be the same by all inertial observers. However, unified theories, such as string theory, allow for violation of this symmetry by inducing new spacetime structure at the quantum gravity scale. Thus, the discovery of Lorentz symmetry violation could be the first hint of these theories in nature. Here we report the results of the most precise test of spacetime symmetry in the neutrino sector to date. We use high-energy atmospheric neutrinos observed at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory to search for anomalous neutrino oscillations as signals of Lorentz violation. We find no evidence for such phenomena. This allows us to constrain the size of the dimension-four operator in the standard-model extension for Lorentz violation to the 1 0 - 28 level and to set limits on higher-dimensional operators in this framework. These are among the most stringent limits on Lorentz violation set by any physical experiment.

U2 - 10.1038/s41567-018-0172-2

DO - 10.1038/s41567-018-0172-2

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1745-2473

VL - 14

SP - 961

EP - 969

JO - Nature Physics

JF - Nature Physics

IS - 9

ER -

Neutrino interferometry for high-precision tests of Lorentz symmetry with IceCube

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