Bounds on Lorentz Invariance Violation from Muon Fluctuations at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Adila Abdul HalimAdelaide UniversityP. AbreuUniversidade de Lisboa—ULM. AgliettaINFN, Sezione di TorinoI. AllekotteBalseiro InstituteKévin Almeida CheminantNationaal Instituut voor Kernfysica en Hoge Energie Fysica (NIKHEF)R. ALOISIOGran Sasso Science InstituteJaime Álvarez-MuñizUniversidade de Santiago de CompostelaAntonio AmbrosoneGran Sasso Science InstituteJuan Ammerman YebraUniversidade de Santiago de CompostelaL. AnchordoquiCity University of New YorkB. AndradaInstituto de Tecnologías en Detección y Astropartículas (CNEA, CONICET, UNSAM)L. Andrade DouradoGran Sasso Science InstituteL. ApollonioUniversità di MilanoC. AramoINFN, Sezione di NapoliE. ArnoneUniversità TorinoJ. C. Arteaga‐VelázquezUniversidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de HidalgoP. AssisUniversidade de Lisboa—ULG AvilaObservatorio Pierre Auger and Comisión Nacional de Energía AtómicaEmanuele AvoconeINFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi (L’Aquila), ItalyAlena BakalováInstitute of Physics of the Czech Academy of SciencesY. BalibreaObservatorio Pierre Auger and Comisión Nacional de Energía AtómicaA. BalutaUniversity of Nova GoricaFelicia BarbatoGran Sasso Science InstituteA. Bartz MocellinColorado School of MinesJ. P. BehlerObservatorio Pierre AugerCorinne BératM. E. BertainaUniversità TorinoMarta BianciottoUniversità TorinoPeter L. BiermannV. BinetFacultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas U.N.RKathrin BismarkInstituto de Tecnologías en Detección y Astropartículas (CNEA, CONICET, UNSAM)Teresa BisterRadboud University NijmegenJ. BiteauInstitut universitaire de France (IUF)Jiří BlažekInstitute of Physics of the Czech Academy of SciencesJ. BlümerKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)M. BoháčováInstitute of Physics of the Czech Academy of SciencesDenise BoncioliUniversità dell’Aquila, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche, L’Aquila, ItalyC. BonifaziECyT-UNSAM and CONICETNataliia BorodaiInstitute of Nuclear Physics PANJ. BrackP. G. Brichetto OrqueraInstituto de Tecnologías en Detección y AstropartículasA. BuenoUniversidad de GranadaS. BuitinkVrije Universiteit BrusselsM. BüskenKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)Anthony BwembyaNationaal Instituut voor Kernfysica en Hoge Energie Fysica (NIKHEF)K. S. Caballero‐MoraUniversidad Autónoma de ChiapasS. Cabana-FreireUniversidade de Santiago de CompostelaLorenzo CaccianigaINFN, Sezione di MilanoJ. Caraça-ValenteColorado School of MinesR. CarusoUniversità di CataniaA. CastellinaOsservatorio Astrofisico di Torino (INAF)F. CatalaniUniversidade de São PauloG. CataldiINFN, Sezione di LecceLorenzo CazonUniversidade de Santiago de CompostelaM. CerdaObservatorio Pierre AugerB. ČermákováKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)A. CermenatiINFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi (L’Aquila), ItalyK. ČernýPalacky UniversityJ. ChinellatoUniversidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)J. ChudobaInstitute of Physics of the Czech Academy of SciencesL. ChytkaPalacky UniversityR. W. ClayAdelaide UniversityA. C. Cobos CeruttiConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasRoberta ColalilloUniversità di Napoli “Federico IIR. ConceiçãoUniversidade de Lisboa—ULGiovanni ConsolatiDipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie AerospazialiM. ConteUniversità del SalentoFabio ConvengaINFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi (L’Aquila), ItalyDiego Correia dos SantosUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroPedro J. CostaUniversidade de Lisboa—ULC. E. CovaultCase Western Reserve UniversityM. CristinzianiUniversität SiegenCarlo Salvattore Cruz SanchezUniversidad Nacional de La Plata and CONICETS. DassoInstitute of Astronomy and Space PhysicsK. DaumillerKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)B. R. DawsonAdelaide UniversityR. M. de AlmeidaUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroE.-T. de BooneUniversität SiegenBeatriz de ErricoUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroJoaquín de JesúsUniversidade de Santiago de CompostelaS. J. de JongNationaal Instituut voor Kernfysica en Hoge Energie Fysica (NIKHEF)A. De RoeckUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroI. De MitriGran Sasso Science InstituteDanelise de Oliveira FrancoUniversität HamburgF. de PalmaUniversità del SalentoV. de SouzaUniversidade de São PauloEmanuele De VitoUniversità del SalentoA. Del PopoloUniversità di CataniaO. DelignyUniversité Paris-SaclayN. DennerInstitute of Physics of the Czech Academy of SciencesK. Denner SyrokvasCharles UniversityL. DevalINFN, Sezione di TorinoA. di MatteoINFN, Sezione di TorinoC. DobrigkeitUniversidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)J. C. D’OlivoUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoLuis Miguel Domingues MendesCentro Brasileiro de Pesquisas FisicasY. Dominguez BallesterosUniversidad Industrial de SantanderQ. DorostiUniversität SiegenR. C. dos AnjosUniversidade Federal do ParanáJan EbrInstitute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
2026en
ABI
Abstract
Quantum gravity theories often modify spacetime symmetries. In particular, Lorentz invariance may be violated when approaching the Planck scale. Although the scales at which interactions occur in extensive air showers induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays in the atmosphere are many orders of magnitude below the Planck scale, these violations might still be observable. In this Letter, the fluctuations in the number of muons in the extensive air showers measured at the Pierre Auger Observatory are exploited, for the first time, to constrain Lorentz invariance violations. The bounds derived in the hadronic sector are the strongest ever obtained, and do not rely on assumptions about the mass composition of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. The fluctuations in the number of muons constitute a new and powerful observable to further explore Lorentz invariance in a region of the parameter space not accessible to other observables.
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