New indirect bounds on Lorentz violation in the photon sector

Abstract

Direct laboratory bounds on the 9 nonbirefringent Lorentz-violating dimensionless parameters of modified-Maxwell theory range from the 10^{-7} level to the 10^{-16} level. The detection of air showers initiated by charged primaries (ultrahigh-energy cosmic-rays) and neutral primaries (TeV gamma-rays) allows us to obtain new indirect bounds ranging from the 10^{-15} level to the 10^{-19} level. Possible physics implications are briefly discussed.