FRB 121102 casts new light on the photon mass
The photon mass, mγ, can in principle be constrained using measurements of the dispersion measures (DMs) of fast radio bursts (FRBs), once the FRB redshifts are known. The DM of the repeating FRB 121102 is known to <1%, a host galaxy has now been identified with high confidence, and its redshift,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2017-05-01
|
| Series: | Physics Letters B |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269317301922 |
| _version_ | 1811303906206023680 |
|---|---|
| author | Luca Bonetti John Ellis Nikolaos E. Mavromatos Alexander S. Sakharov Edward K. Sarkisyan-Grinbaum Alessandro D.A.M. Spallicci |
| author_facet | Luca Bonetti John Ellis Nikolaos E. Mavromatos Alexander S. Sakharov Edward K. Sarkisyan-Grinbaum Alessandro D.A.M. Spallicci |
| author_sort | Luca Bonetti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The photon mass, mγ, can in principle be constrained using measurements of the dispersion measures (DMs) of fast radio bursts (FRBs), once the FRB redshifts are known. The DM of the repeating FRB 121102 is known to <1%, a host galaxy has now been identified with high confidence, and its redshift, z, has now been determined with high accuracy: z=0.19273(8). Taking into account the plasma contributions to the DM from the Intergalactic medium (IGM) and the Milky Way, we use the data on FRB 121102 to derive the constraint mγ≲2.2×10−14 eVc−2 (3.9×10−50 kg). Since the plasma and photon mass contributions to DMs have different redshift dependences, they could in principle be distinguished by measurements of more FRB redshifts, enabling the sensitivity to mγ to be improved. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:56:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-000de7ca528c4832a7e6d61ff3504b8b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0370-2693 1873-2445 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:56:28Z |
| publishDate | 2017-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physics Letters B |
| spelling | doaj.art-000de7ca528c4832a7e6d61ff3504b8b2022-12-22T02:55:23ZengElsevierPhysics Letters B0370-26931873-24452017-05-01768C32632910.1016/j.physletb.2017.03.014FRB 121102 casts new light on the photon massLuca Bonetti0John Ellis1Nikolaos E. Mavromatos2Alexander S. Sakharov3Edward K. Sarkisyan-Grinbaum4Alessandro D.A.M. Spallicci5Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre, UMS 3116, Université d'Orléans, 1A rue de la Férollerie, 45071 Orléans, FranceTheoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology Group, Physics Department, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, United KingdomTheoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology Group, Physics Department, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, United KingdomDepartment of Physics, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, United StatesExperimental Physics Department, CERN, CH-1211 Genève 23, SwitzerlandObservatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre, UMS 3116, Université d'Orléans, 1A rue de la Férollerie, 45071 Orléans, FranceThe photon mass, mγ, can in principle be constrained using measurements of the dispersion measures (DMs) of fast radio bursts (FRBs), once the FRB redshifts are known. The DM of the repeating FRB 121102 is known to <1%, a host galaxy has now been identified with high confidence, and its redshift, z, has now been determined with high accuracy: z=0.19273(8). Taking into account the plasma contributions to the DM from the Intergalactic medium (IGM) and the Milky Way, we use the data on FRB 121102 to derive the constraint mγ≲2.2×10−14 eVc−2 (3.9×10−50 kg). Since the plasma and photon mass contributions to DMs have different redshift dependences, they could in principle be distinguished by measurements of more FRB redshifts, enabling the sensitivity to mγ to be improved.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269317301922 |
| spellingShingle | Luca Bonetti John Ellis Nikolaos E. Mavromatos Alexander S. Sakharov Edward K. Sarkisyan-Grinbaum Alessandro D.A.M. Spallicci FRB 121102 casts new light on the photon mass Physics Letters B |
| title | FRB 121102 casts new light on the photon mass |
| title_full | FRB 121102 casts new light on the photon mass |
| title_fullStr | FRB 121102 casts new light on the photon mass |
| title_full_unstemmed | FRB 121102 casts new light on the photon mass |
| title_short | FRB 121102 casts new light on the photon mass |
| title_sort | frb 121102 casts new light on the photon mass |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269317301922 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lucabonetti frb121102castsnewlightonthephotonmass AT johnellis frb121102castsnewlightonthephotonmass AT nikolaosemavromatos frb121102castsnewlightonthephotonmass AT alexanderssakharov frb121102castsnewlightonthephotonmass AT edwardksarkisyangrinbaum frb121102castsnewlightonthephotonmass AT alessandrodamspallicci frb121102castsnewlightonthephotonmass |