Cosmic Birefringence within the Framework of Heterotic String Theory

Abstract

Low energy string theory predicts the existence of an axion field which can lead to cosmic birefringence. We solve the electromagnetic wave equations in the presence of such an axion and a dilaton field in order to determine their effect on the polarization of light. We find that the presence of dilaton field leads to a nontrivial modification of the final result. We comment on the possibility of discovering such an effect by observations of radio wave polarizations from distant radio galaxies and quasars. We have also determined the limits on the string theory parameters that are imposed by the current polarization data from distant quasars and radio galaxies.

11 pages, 5 figures, revtex, minor changes, added references

Cited by in corpus (29)

• Lorentz and CPT violations from Chern-Simons modifications of QED
• Magnetic monopoles revisited: Models and searches at colliders and in the Cosmos
• Large Scale Alignment of Optical Polarizations from Distant QSOs using Coordinate Invariant Statistics
• Electromagnetic Polarization Effects due to Axion Photon Mixing
• Probing Light Pseudoscalars with Light: Propagation, Resonance and Spontaneous Polarization
• Magnetic Monopoles from Global Monopoles in the presence of Kalb-Ramond Torsion
• Alignments in quasar polarizations: pseudoscalar-photon mixing in the presence of correlated magnetic fields
• Charged black holes in generalized dilaton-axion gravity
• Photon & Axion Oscillation In a Magnetized Medium: A Covariant Treatment
• Observable signals in a string inspired axion-dilaton background and Randall-Sundrum scenario
• The Dynamical Mixing of Light and Pseudoscalar Fields
• Lorentz-breaking effects in scalar-tensor theories of gravity
• Signatures of Pseudoscalar Photon Mixing in CMB Radiation
• Constraining axionlike particles using the distance-duality relation
• A complete 3D numerical study of the effects of pseudoscalar-photon mixing on quasar polarizations
• Constraining Torsion in Maximally symmetric (sub)spaces
• New limit on pseudoscalar-photon mixing from WMAP Observations
• Cosmic optical activity in the spacetime of a scalar-tensor screwed cosmic string
• Non-perturbative time-dependent String Backgrounds and Axion-induced Optical Activity
• Gauge invariant coupling of fields to torsion: a string inspired model
• Generalized dilaton-Maxwell cosmic string and wall solutions
• Constraining the Randall-Sundrum modulus in the light of recent PVLAS data
• Antisymmetric-Tensor and Electromagnetic effects in an alpha'-non-perturbative Four-Dimensional String Cosmology
• Birefringence induced by pp-wave modes in an electromagnetically active dynamic aether
• Cosmological Dark sector from a Mimetic-Metric-Torsion perspective
• Constraining PCP Violating Varying Alpha Theory Through Laboratory Experiments
• Cosmic string configuration in a five dimensional Brans-Dicke theory
• Analysing the Effect on CMB in a Parity and Charge Parity Violating Varying Alpha Theory
• Quasar polarization with two axionlike particles