Any theory of violation of Lorentz invariance now has an even more stringent limit to overcome. A new report published in PRL has tested this to an even greater accuracy[1].
Abstract: We report on the results of a strongly improved test of local Lorentz invariance, consisting of a search for an anisotropy of the resonance frequencies of electromagnetic cavities. The apparatus comprises two orthogonal standing-wave optical cavities interrogated by a laser, which were rotated approximately 175 000 times over the duration of 13 months. The measurements are interpreted as a search for an anisotropy of the speed of light, within the Robertson-Mansouri-Sexl (RMS) and the standard model extension (SME) photon sector test theories. We find no evidence for an isotropy violation at a 1sigma uncertainty level of 0.6 parts in 10^17 (RMS) and 2 parts in 1017 for seven of eight coefficients of the SME.
We have yet to see such violations.
Zz.
[1] Ch. Eisele et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. v.103, p.090401 (2009).
"at a 1sigma uncertainty level of 0.6 parts in 10^17 (RMS) and 2 parts in 1017 for seven of eight coefficients of the SME."
ReplyDeleteHoly cow that is precise! I don't know how you measure anything so accurately.
Well, Einstein should be happy.