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Constraints on Lorentz-invariance violation in the neutrino sector from the ultrahigh-energy event KM3-230213A

Yu-Ming Yang1,2,*, Xing-Jian Lv1,2,†, Xiao-Jun Bi1,2,‡, and Peng-Fei Yin1,§

  • *Contact author: yangyuming@ihep.ac.cn
  • †Contact author: lvxj@ihep.ac.cn
  • ‡Contact author: bixj@ihep.ac.cn
  • §Contact author: yinpf@ihep.ac.cn
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Phys. Rev. D 111, 123037 – Published 24 June, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/6zzg-tv4s

Abstract

Many quantum gravity theories predict deviations from Lorentz invariance, a foundational principle of modern physics, at energy scales exceeding the Planck scale. The presence of Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) would modify the dispersion relations of particles in vacuum and render certain decay channels kinematically permissible. In this study, we derive stringent constraints on the energy scale of LIV in the neutrino sector by investigating the impact of neutrino decay channels on the neutrino spectrum in the presence of LIV. Utilizing the spectra derived from the joint fit of KM3NeT, IceCube, and Auger data as a benchmark, we demonstrate that to be compatible with the highest-energy neutrino event ever detected, known as event KM3-230213A, the second-order LIV energy scale must satisfy Λ2>5.0×1019  GeV at 90% confidence level. Furthermore, our analyses indicate that the current data do not impose a stringent constraint on the energy scale associated with the first-order LIV.

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Phys. Rev. D 111, 123037– Published 24 June, 2025
  • Received 20 March 2025
  • Revised 19 May 2025
  • Accepted 22 May 2025
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