Why Cerenkov Radiation May Not Occur, Even When It Is Allowed by Lorentz-Violating Kinematics
In a Lorentz-violating quantum field theory, the energy-momentum relations for the field quanta are typically modified. This affects the kinematics, and processes that are normally forbidden may become allowed. One reaction that clearly becomes kinematically possible when photons’ phase speeds are l...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2017-10-01
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| Series: | Symmetry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/9/11/250 |
| _version_ | 1798041221284757504 |
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| author | Brett Altschul |
| author_facet | Brett Altschul |
| author_sort | Brett Altschul |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In a Lorentz-violating quantum field theory, the energy-momentum relations for the field quanta are typically modified. This affects the kinematics, and processes that are normally forbidden may become allowed. One reaction that clearly becomes kinematically possible when photons’ phase speeds are less than 1 is vacuum Cerenkov radiation. However, in spite of expectations, and in defiance of phase space estimates, a electromagnetic Chern–Simons theory with a timelike Lorentz violation coefficient does not feature any energy losses through Cerenkov emission. There is an unexpected cancelation, made possible by the existence of unstable long-wavelength modes of the field. The fact that the theory possesses a more limited form of gauge symmetry than conventional electrodynamics also plays a role. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:18:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a0d52080848e4e19ab5e39c1d5967053 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-8994 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:18:27Z |
| publishDate | 2017-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Symmetry |
| spelling | doaj.art-a0d52080848e4e19ab5e39c1d59670532022-12-22T04:00:17ZengMDPI AGSymmetry2073-89942017-10-0191125010.3390/sym9110250sym9110250Why Cerenkov Radiation May Not Occur, Even When It Is Allowed by Lorentz-Violating KinematicsBrett Altschul0Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USAIn a Lorentz-violating quantum field theory, the energy-momentum relations for the field quanta are typically modified. This affects the kinematics, and processes that are normally forbidden may become allowed. One reaction that clearly becomes kinematically possible when photons’ phase speeds are less than 1 is vacuum Cerenkov radiation. However, in spite of expectations, and in defiance of phase space estimates, a electromagnetic Chern–Simons theory with a timelike Lorentz violation coefficient does not feature any energy losses through Cerenkov emission. There is an unexpected cancelation, made possible by the existence of unstable long-wavelength modes of the field. The fact that the theory possesses a more limited form of gauge symmetry than conventional electrodynamics also plays a role.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/9/11/250Lorentz symmetryCerenkov radiationgauge invariance |
| spellingShingle | Brett Altschul Why Cerenkov Radiation May Not Occur, Even When It Is Allowed by Lorentz-Violating Kinematics Symmetry Lorentz symmetry Cerenkov radiation gauge invariance |
| title | Why Cerenkov Radiation May Not Occur, Even When It Is Allowed by Lorentz-Violating Kinematics |
| title_full | Why Cerenkov Radiation May Not Occur, Even When It Is Allowed by Lorentz-Violating Kinematics |
| title_fullStr | Why Cerenkov Radiation May Not Occur, Even When It Is Allowed by Lorentz-Violating Kinematics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why Cerenkov Radiation May Not Occur, Even When It Is Allowed by Lorentz-Violating Kinematics |
| title_short | Why Cerenkov Radiation May Not Occur, Even When It Is Allowed by Lorentz-Violating Kinematics |
| title_sort | why cerenkov radiation may not occur even when it is allowed by lorentz violating kinematics |
| topic | Lorentz symmetry Cerenkov radiation gauge invariance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/9/11/250 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brettaltschul whycerenkovradiationmaynotoccurevenwhenitisallowedbylorentzviolatingkinematics |