Test of non-commutative QED in the process e+e- -> gamma gamma at LEP

Abstract

Non-commutative QED would lead to deviations from the Standard Model depending on a new energy scale Lambda_NC and a unique direction in space defined by two angles eta and xi. Here in this analysis eta is defined as the angle between the unique direction and the rotation axis of the earth. The predictions of such a theory for the process e+e- -> gamma gamma are evaluated for the specific orientation of the OPAL detector and compared to the measurements. Distributions of the polar and azimuthal scattering angles are used to extract limits on the energy scale Lambda_NC depending on the model parameter eta. At the 95% confidence level Lambda_NC is found to be larger than 141 GeV for all eta and xi. It is shown that the time dependence of the total cross-section could be used to determine the model parameter xi if there were a detectable signal. These are the first limits obtained on non-commutative QED from an e+e- collider experiment.