28
August 2003
Quantum gravity: Special relativity
Special relativity has passed all observational tests to date, but the suspicion remains that at the scale of quantum gravity the structure of space-time may involve a breakdown in the principle of relativity. This would lead to a deviation from the relativistic dispersion relation between energy and momentum. New observations of the synchrotron radiation from the Crab nebula have provided constraints on the extent of this violation, should it exist. The presence of 100-MeV synchrotron radiation from the Crab improves the previous limit by a factor of 40 million. This is so stringent as to cast doubt on the possibility of the so-called Lorentz violation, and it sets new parameters for those working on the tricky problem of quantum gravity.
A strong astrophysical constraint on the violation
of special relativity by quantum gravity
T. JACOBSON, S. LIBERATI & D. MATTINGLY
Nature 424, 1019–1021 (2003); doi:10.1038/nature01882
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Quantum gravity: An astrophysical constraint
SEAN CARROLL
A quantum theory of gravity is proving elusive. Observations of radiation
from the Crab nebula now place even stronger constraints on the likelihood
of detecting the effects of quantum gravity.
Nature 424, 1007–1008 (2003); doi:10.1038/4241007a
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