PIRSA:12100085

Video URL

https://pirsa.org/12100085

Photons and Quantum Gravity in Astrophysics

Nemiroff, R., Amelino-Camelia, G., Afshordi, N., Magueijo, J., Bonanno, A. & Brandenberger, R. (2012). Photons and Quantum Gravity in Astrophysics. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. https://pirsa.org/12100085

Nemiroff, Robert, et al. Photons and Quantum Gravity in Astrophysics. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Oct. 22, 2012, https://pirsa.org/12100085 

          @misc{ scivideos_PIRSA:12100085,
            doi = {10.48660/12100085},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/12100085},
            author = {Nemiroff, Robert and Amelino-Camelia, Giovanni and Afshordi, Niayesh and Magueijo, Joao and Bonanno, Alfio and Brandenberger, Robert},
            keywords = {Quantum Gravity, Particle Physics},
            language = {en},
            title = {Photons and Quantum Gravity in Astrophysics},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics},
            year = {2012},
            month = {oct},
            note = {PIRSA:12100085 see, \url{https://scivideos.org/pirsa/12100085}}
          }
Talk numberPIRSA:12100085
DOI10.48660/12100085
Source RepositoryPIRSA
Collection
Talk Type Conference
Subject

Abstract

Asymptotically safe inflation and CMB polarization
The presence of complex critical exponents in the scaling behavior of the Newton constant and Cosmological  constant has dramatic consequences at the inflation scale. In particular an infinite number of unstable de-Sitter vacua emerges from an effective quantum gravitational action. In this framework, the possibility of detecting specific signaturesof a non-gaussian fixed point of the gravitational interactions in the CMB polarization spectrum will then be discussed.

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Cosmological windows such as CMB polarization and 21cm redshift surveys to probe Planck-scale physics

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Quantum gravity and a chiral signature in gravity waves
I show how quantum gravity could lead to a chiral signature in the graviational wave background, proportional to the imaginary part of the Immirzi parameter.  This would leave a distinctive imprint in the polarization of the cosmic microwave background.  I will discuss how this isue is closely related to that of identifying the ground of base state for quantum gravity.

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A Possible Bound on Spectral Dispersion from Fermi-Detected Gamma Ray Burst 090510A
Three photons spanning about 30 GeV arrived within about one millisecond from the Fermi-detected GRB 090510A at a redshift of about 0.9. Although conceivably a > 3σ statistical fluctuation when taken at face value this photon bunch -- quite possibly a classic GRB pulse -- leads to a relatively tight bound on the ability of our universe to disperse high energy photons. Specifically given a generic dispersion relation where the time delay is proportional to the photon energy to the first power the limit on the dispersion strength is k1 < 1.61×10-5 sec Gpc-1 GeV-1. In the context of some theories of quantum gravity this conservative bound translates into an minimum energy scale greater than 525 m_Planck suggesting that spacetime is smooth at energies perhaps three orders of magnitude over the Planck mass.