Lorentz Invariance Violation and Quantum Gravity: constraints from astrophysical observations of extragalactic transient events

Some Quantum Gravity (QG) theories allow for a violation of Lorentz invariance (LIV), manifesting as a dependence on the velocity of light in vacuum on its energy. If such a dependence exists, then photons of different energies emitted together by a distant source will arrive at the Earth at different times. (Very) high energy transient emissions from distant astrophysical sources such as Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) and blazars can be used to search for and constrain LIV. This work presents the studies obtained with two leading Gamma-ray telescopes: H.E.S.S. for which a study of the quality of the calibrated data was performed and Fermi-LAT. The energies and arrival times of individual photons were used to constrain the vacuum dispersion parameter and the energy scale E_QG at which QG effects causing LIV may arise. The maximum likelihood method is described, with detailed studies of the systematics. A modification for a non-negligible background is provided and applied to the data of an AGN flare observed by H.E.S.S.: the obtained limits on the QG energy scale are less constraining than the previous best limits obtained with blazars; yet, the new limits lie a redshift range not covered this far. Four bright and quasi background-free GRBs observed by the Fermi-LAT were also analysed, with two different template light curve determinations - Gaussian fits and Kernel Density Estimates. The best limits on the E_QG scale for the linear/sub-luminal case are from the shortest burst, GRB090510: E_QG,1 > 7.6 E_Planck. More robust limits, considering the intrinsic effects possibly occurring at the source, were also derived. (author)