Constraining Superluminal Electron and Neutrino Velocities using the 2010 Crab Nebula Flare and the IceCube PeV Neutrino Events

The observation of two PeV-scale neutrino events reported by Ice Cube can, in principle, allows one to place constraints on Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) in the neutrino sector. After first arguing that at least one of the IceCube events was of extragalactic origin, I derive an upper limit for {\it the difference} between putative superluminal neutrino and electron velocities of $\le \sim 5.6 \times 10^{-19}$ in units where $c = 1$, confirming that the observed PeV neutrinos could have reached Earth from extragalactic sources. I further derive a new constraint on the superluminal electron velocity, obtained from the observation of synchrotron radiation in the Crab Nebula flare of September, 2010. The inference that the $>$ 1 GeV $\gamma$-rays from synchrotron emission in the flare were produced by electrons of energy up to $\sim 5.1$ PeV indicates the non-occurrence of vacuum \'{C}erenkov radiation by these electrons. This implies a new, strong constraint on superluminal electron velocities $\delta_e \le \sim 5 \times 10^{-21}$. It immediately follows that one then obtains an upper limit on the superluminal neutrino velocity {\it alone} of $\delta_{\nu} \le \sim 5.6 \times 10^{-19}$, many orders of magnitude better than the time-of-flight constraint from the SN1987A neutrino burst. However, if the electrons are {\it subluminal} the constraint on $|\delta_e| \le \sim 8 \times 10^{-17}$, obtained from the Crab Nebula $\gamma$-ray spectrum, places a weaker constraint on superluminal neutrino velocity of $\delta_{\nu} \le \sim 8 \times 10^{-17}$.Comment: Expanded and clarified the discussion of the case for extragalactic origin of the observed neutrinos adding more reference

Micropsephodes bahamaensis, a new species of Anamorphinae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Endomychidae) from the Bahamas, with a key to the New World genera of Anamorphinae

A new species of anamorphine endomychid, Micropsephodes bahamaensis Shockley is described from a small series of 3 specimens collected on North Andros Island in the Bahamas. Besides being the only species known from the Bahamas, M. bahamaensis is readily recognizable from its congeners based on its much larger size, more elongate habitus and features of the galeae and maxillary palpomere IV. Keys to the known species of Micropsephodes and to the adults of the genera of Anamorphinae that occur in the Western Hemisphere are provided

Testing Lorentz Symmetry using High Energy Astrophysics Observations

We discuss some of the tests of Lorentz symmetry made possible by astrophysical observations of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays, gamma-rays, and neutrinos. These are among the most sensitive tests of Lorentz symmetry violation because they are the highest energy phenomena known to man.Comment: revised to match the published paper. Three new references added. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1705.08485, arXiv:1411.588

Search for the Footprints of New Physics with Laboratory and Cosmic Neutrinos

Observations of high energy neutrinos, both in the laboratory and from cosmic sources, can be a useful probe in searching for new physics. Such observations can provide sensitive tests of Lorentz invariance violation (LIV), which may be a the result of quantum gravity physics (QG). We review some observationally testable consequences of LIV using effective field theory (EFT) formalism. To do this, one can postulate the existence of additional small LIV terms in free particle Lagrangians, suppressed by powers of the Planck mass. The observational consequences of such terms are then examined. In particular, one can place limits on a class of non-renormalizable, mass dimension five and six Lorentz invariance violating operators that may be the result of QG.Comment: Version of a review article in Modern Physics Letters A with eq. (11) corrected post-publication. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1411.588

Discolomopsis dominicana : a new genus and species of Endomychidae (Coleoptera) from Dominican amber

Discolomopsis, a new genus of Endomychidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea), is described and illustrated based on a fossil endomychid embedded in amber resin from the Dominican Republic. Discolomopsis dominicana sp. nov. is designated as the type species for the genus