Gamma-ray Burst Photon Delay as Expected by Quantum Gravity

  • Released Wednesday, October 28, 2009
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In this illustration, one photon (purple) carries a million times the energy of another (yellow). Some theorists predict travel delays for higher-energy photons, which interact more strongly with the proposed frothy nature of space-time. Yet Fermi data on two photons from a gamma-ray burst fail to show this effect, eliminating some approaches to a new theory of gravity.

Animation showing how the photons may have acted if the structure of space-time was foamy. However, Fermi data has shown that that effect does not exist.

Print resolution still. In this illustration, one photon (purple) carries a million times the energy of another (yellow). Some theorists predict travel delays for higher-energy photons, which interact more strongly with the proposed frothy nature of space-time. Yet Fermi data on two photons from a gamma-ray burst fail to show this effect, eliminating some approaches to a new theory of gravity. Credit: NASA/Sonoma State University/Aurore Simonnet

Print resolution still. In this illustration, one photon (purple) carries a million times the energy of another (yellow). Some theorists predict travel delays for higher-energy photons, which interact more strongly with the proposed frothy nature of space-time. Yet Fermi data on two photons from a gamma-ray burst fail to show this effect, eliminating some approaches to a new theory of gravity. Credit: NASA/Sonoma State University/Aurore Simonnet

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NASA/Sonoma State University/Cruz deWilde/Aurore Simonnet

This page was originally published on Wednesday, October 28, 2009.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:54 PM EDT.

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