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On the detectability of quantum spacetime foam with gravitational-wave interferometers
- Publication Year :
- 1999
- Publisher :
- arXiv, 1999.
-
Abstract
- We discuss a recent provocative suggestion by Amelino-Camelia and others that classical spacetime may break down into ``quantum foam'' on distance scales many orders of magnitude larger than the Planck length, leading to effects which could be detected using large gravitational wave interferometers. This suggestion is based on a quantum uncertainty limit obtained by Wigner using a quantum clock in a gedanken timing experiment. Wigner's limit, however, is based on two unrealistic and unneccessary assumptions: that the clock is free to move, and that it does not interact with the environment. Removing either of these assumptions makes the uncertainty limit invalid, and removes the basis for Amelino-Camelia's suggestion.<br />Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett. B
- Subjects :
- Physics
Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Quantum Physics
Uncertainty principle
Spacetime
Gravitational wave
Condensed Matter (cond-mat)
FOS: Physical sciences
Condensed Matter
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
Quantum spacetime
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Classical mechanics
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
Orders of magnitude (time)
Limit (mathematics)
Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
Quantum clock
Planck length
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a988c6b1c1f71f1847cbcdf7b9890f6d
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.gr-qc/9909017