Some aspects of the phenomenology of canonical noncommutative spacetimes

Abstract

I describe some phenomenological contexts in which it is possible to investigate effects induced by (string-motivated) canonical noncommutative spacetime. Due to the peculiar structure of the theory the usual criteria adopted for the choice of experimental contexts in which to test a theory may not be applicable here; care is required in taking into account the effects of IR/UV mixing. This invites one to consider contexts involving particles of relatively high energies, like high-energy cosmic rays and certain high-energy gamma rays observed from distant astrophysical sources.