Lorentz Violation with Gravitational Waves: Constraints from NANOGrav and IPTA Data

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Main Authors: Allahyari, Alireza, Davari, Mohammadreza, Mota, David F.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Allahyari, Alireza
Davari, Mohammadreza
Mota, David F.
author_facet Allahyari, Alireza
Davari, Mohammadreza
Mota, David F.
contents We explore a theoretical framework in which Lorentz symmetry is explicitly broken by incorporating derivative terms of the extrinsic curvature into the gravitational action. These modifications introduce a scale-dependent damping effect in the propagation of gravitational waves (GWs), governed by a characteristic energy scale denoted as $M_{LV}$ . We derive the modified spectral energy density of GWs within this model and confront it with recent observational data from the NANOGrav 15-year dataset and the second data release of the International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA). Our analysis yields a lower bound on the Lorentz-violating energy scale, finding $M_{LV} > 10^{-19}$ GeV at 68\% confidence level. This result significantly improves upon previous constraints derived from LIGO/VIRGO binary merger observations. Our findings demonstrate the potential of pulsar timing arrays to probe fundamental symmetries of spacetime and offer new insights into possible extensions of general relativity.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_22736
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Lorentz Violation with Gravitational Waves: Constraints from NANOGrav and IPTA Data
Allahyari, Alireza
Davari, Mohammadreza
Mota, David F.
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
We explore a theoretical framework in which Lorentz symmetry is explicitly broken by incorporating derivative terms of the extrinsic curvature into the gravitational action. These modifications introduce a scale-dependent damping effect in the propagation of gravitational waves (GWs), governed by a characteristic energy scale denoted as $M_{LV}$ . We derive the modified spectral energy density of GWs within this model and confront it with recent observational data from the NANOGrav 15-year dataset and the second data release of the International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA). Our analysis yields a lower bound on the Lorentz-violating energy scale, finding $M_{LV} > 10^{-19}$ GeV at 68\% confidence level. This result significantly improves upon previous constraints derived from LIGO/VIRGO binary merger observations. Our findings demonstrate the potential of pulsar timing arrays to probe fundamental symmetries of spacetime and offer new insights into possible extensions of general relativity.
title Lorentz Violation with Gravitational Waves: Constraints from NANOGrav and IPTA Data
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.22736