2014/07/16 by Avijit K. Ganguly, Manoj K. Jaiswal
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Classical mechanics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dimension (graph theory) #Lorentz covariance #Lorentz transformation #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Mixing (physics) #Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories #Operator (biology) #Photon #Physics #Quantum electrodynamics #Quantum mechanics #Scalar (mathematics) #Symmetry (geometry) #astro-ph.HE #hep-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.90.026002
published as Phys. Rev. D90, 026002 (2014) · Six pages, one figure
openalex publication_date 2014/07/16 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · arxiv created 2016/08/29 · arxiv updated 2016/09/07 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Dimension-five photon (\ensuremathγ) scalar (\ensuremathφ) interaction terms usually appear in the bosonic sector of unified theories of electromagnetism and gravity. In these theories the three propagation eigenstates are different from the three field eigenstates. The dispersion relation in an external magnetic field shows that, for a non-zero energy (\ensuremathω), out of the three propagating eigenstates one has superluminal phase velocity vp. During propagation, another eigenstate undergoes amplification or attenuation, showing signs of an unstable system. The remaining one maintains causality. In this paper, using techniques from optics as well as gravity, we identify the energy (\ensuremathω) interval outside which vp\ensuremath≤c for the field eigenstates |\ensuremathγ_\ensuremath∥⟩ and |\ensuremathφ⟩, and stability of the system is restored. The behavior of group velocity vg is also explored in the same context. We conclude by pointing out its possible astrophysical implications.