A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Constraining Lorentz Invariance Violation Using the Crab Pulsar Emission Observed up to TeV Energies by MAGIC
Authors: Ahnen ML, Ansoldi S, Antonelli LA, Arcaro C, Babic A, Banerjee B, Bangale P, de Almeida UB, Barrio JA, Gonzalez JB, Bednarek W, Bernardini E, Berti A, Bhattacharyya W, Biasuzzi B, Biland A, Blanch O, Bonnefoy S, Bonnoli G, Carosi R, Carosi A, Chatterjee A, Colak SM, Colin P, Colombo E, Contreras JL, Cortina J, Covino S, Cumani P, Da Vela P, Dazzi F, De Angelis A, De Lotto B, Wilhelmi ED, Di Pierro F, Doert M, Dominguez A, Prester DD, Dorner D, Doro M, Einecke S, Glawion DE, Elsaesser D, Engelkemeier M, Ramazani VF, Fernandez-Barral A, Fidalgo D, Fonseca MV, Font L, Fruck C, Galindo D, Lopez RJG, Garczarczyk M, Garrido D, Gaug M, Giammaria P, Godinovic N, Gora D, Guberman D, Hadasch D, Hahn A, Hassan T, Hayashida M, Herrera J, Hose J, Hrupec D, Inada T, Ishio K, Konno Y, Kubo H, Kushida J, Kuvezdic D, Lelas D, Lindfors E, Lombardi S, Longo F, Lopez M, Maggio C, Majumdar P, Makariev M, Maneva G, Manganaro M, Mannheim K, Maraschi L, Mariotti M, Martinez M, Mazin D, Menzel U, Minev M, Mirzoyan R, Moralejo A, Moreno V, Moretti E, Neustroev V, Niedzwiecki A, Rosillo MN, Nilsson K, Ninci D, Nishijima K, Noda K, Nogues L, Paiano S, Palacio J, Paneque D, Paoletti R, Paredes JM, Pedaletti G, Peresano M, Perri L, Persic M, Moroni PGP, Prandini E, Puljak I, Garcia JR, Reichardt I, Rhode W, Ribo M, Rico J, Righi C, Saito T, Satalecka K, Schroeder S, Schweizer T, Shore SN, Sitarek J, Snidaric I, Sobczynska D, Stamerra A, Strzys M, Suric T, Takalo L, Tavecchio F, Temnikov P, Terzic T, Tescaro D, Teshima M, Torres DF, Torres-Alba N, Treves A, Vanzo G, Acosta MV, Vovk I, Ward JE, Will M, Zaric D
Publisher: IOP PUBLISHING LTD
Publication year: 2017
Journal: Astrophysical Journal Supplement
Journal name in source: ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL SUPPLEMENT SERIES
Journal acronym: ASTROPHYS J SUPPL S
Article number: ARTN 9
Volume: 232
Issue: 1
Number of pages: 17
ISSN: 0067-0049
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/aa8404
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/26705501
Spontaneous breaking of Lorentz symmetry at energies on the order of the Planck energy or lower is predicted by many quantum gravity theories, implying non-trivial dispersion relations for the photon in vacuum. Consequently, gamma-rays of different energies, emitted simultaneously from astrophysical sources, could accumulate measurable differences in their time of flight until they reach the Earth. Such tests have been carried out in the past using fast variations of gamma-ray flux from pulsars, and more recently from active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray bursts. We present new constraints studying the gamma-ray emission of the galactic Crab Pulsar, recently observed up to TeV energies by the Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) collaboration. A profile likelihood analysis of pulsar events reconstructed for energies above 400. GeV finds no significant variation in arrival time as their energy increases.. Ninety-five percent CL limits are obtained on the effective Lorentz invariance violating energy scale at the level of E-QG1 > 5.5 x 10(17) GeV (4.5 x 10(17) GeV) for a linear, and E-QG2 > 5.9 x 10(10) GeV (5.3 x 10(10) GeV) for a quadratic scenario, for the subluminal and the superluminal cases, respectively. A substantial part of this study is dedicated to calibration of the test statistic, with respect to bias and coverage properties. Moreover, the limits take into account systematic uncertainties, which are found to worsen the statistical limits by about 36%-42%. Our constraints would have been much more stringent if the intrinsic pulse shape of the pulsar between 200 GeV and 400 GeV was understood in sufficient detail and allowed inclusion of events well below 400 GeV.
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