Trace of phase-space noncommutativity in the response of a free particle to linearized gravitational waves

Abstract

Interaction of linearized gravitational waves with a otherwise free particle has been studied quantum mechanically in a noncommutative phase-space to examine whether the particle's response to the gravitational wave gets modified due to spatial and/or momentum noncommutativity. The result shows that momentum noncommutativity introduces a oscillatory noise with a specific frequency determined by the fundamental momentum scale and particle mass. Because of the global nature of the phase-space noncommutativity such noise will have similar characteristics for all detector sites and thus will stand out in a data cross-correlation procedure. If detected, this noise will provide evidence of momentum noncommutativity and also an estimation of the relevant noncommutative parameter.