Loop-Generated Bounds on Changes to the Graviton Dispersion Relation

Abstract

We identify the effective theory appropriate to the propagation of massless bulk fields in brane-world scenarios, to show that the dominant low-energy effect of asymmetric warping in the bulk is to modify the dispersion relation of the effective 4-dimensional modes. We show how such changes to the graviton dispersion relation may be bounded through the effects they imply, through loops, for the propagation of standard model particles. We compute these bounds and show that they provide, in some cases, the strongest constraints on nonstandard gravitational dispersions. The bounds obtained in this way are the strongest for the fewest extra dimensions and when the extra-dimensional Planck mass is the smallest. Although the best bounds come for warped 5-D scenarios, for which the 5D Planck Mass is O(TeV), even in 4 dimensions the graviton loop can lead to a bound on the graviton speed which is comparable with other constraints.