97-371 Luis Gonzalez-Mestres

Possible effects of Lorentz symmetry violation on the interaction properties of very high-energy cosmic rays (46K, LaTex) Jun 23, 97

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Abstract. Special relativity has been tested at low energy with great accuracy, but these results cannot be extrapolated to the very high-energy region. Introducing a critical distance scale, $a$ , below $10^{-25}~ cm$ (the wavelength scale of the highest-energy observed cosmic rays) allows to consider models, compatible with standard tests of special relativity, where a small violation of Lorentz symmetry ($a$ can, for instance, be the Planck length $\approx 10^{-33}~cm$) produces dramatic effects on the properties of very high-energy particles. Lorentz symmetry violation may potentially solve all the basic problems raised by the highest-energy cosmic rays (origin and energy, propagation...). Furthermore, superluminal sectors of matter may exist and release very high-energy ordinary particles or directly produce very high-energy cosmic-ray events with unambiguous signatures in very large detectors. We discuss these phenomena, as well as the cosmic-ray energy range (well below the energy scale associated to the fundamental length) and experiments where they could be detected and studied.

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