Newswise — In a Nature Astronomy publication today, a research team from the University of Naples “Federico II,” the University of Wroclaw, and the University of Bergen analyzed a quantum-gravity model of particle propagation. They explored how the speed of ultrarelativistic particles changes as their energy increases. This phenomenon is expected to be incredibly small, relative to the ratio between particle energy and the Planck scale. However, when observing astrophysical sources that are very distant, this effect can accumulate and become noticeable. To investigate this, the researchers utilized gamma-ray bursts recorded by the Fermi telescope and ultra-high-energy neutrinos detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. Their objective was to test the hypothesis that certain neutrinos and gamma-ray bursts share a common origin but are observed at different times due to the energy-dependent decrease in speed.
“By merging data from IceCube and Fermi, we discovered preliminary indications affirming quantum gravity models that anticipate this phenomenon. This represents a noteworthy breakthrough in the realm of quantum gravity investigation, as it marks the initial instance of uncovering statistical evidence supportive of quantum gravity at such a level,” stated Professor Giovanni Amelino-Camelia from the University of Naples, acting as the corresponding author on behalf of the research team.
“Although these findings are preliminary, they establish a robust basis for conducting further in-depth explorations as we collect additional data from our gamma-ray and neutrino telescopes. Even in the event that future data fails to corroborate this phenomenon, our discoveries would still impose rigorous constraints on the parameters of pertinent models. This outcome alone would already signify a remarkable and infrequent stride in the realm of quantum gravity research,” Amelino-Camelia added.
