Quantum-gravitational diffusion and stochastic fluctuations in the velocity of light (Q1977594)

Gravitation is, indeed, a great subject for research, continuing to attract much attention. The authors have argued in their 18-page paper that quantum-gravitational fluctuations in space-time background provide certain vacuum non-trivial optical properties including diffusion and the resulting uncertainties in the photon-arrival time, causing stochastic fluctuations in the vacuum light velocity. An explicit realization is achieved by treating the photon propagation through quantum excitations of \(D\)-brane fluctuations in the space-time form. All these are described through higher genus string effects which lead to stochastic fluctuations in the couplings and hence the light velocity as well. Different possibilities and consequences of the work are also discussed. After the introductory section, there are presented: (a) Review of aspects of Liouville string, (b) Fluctuations in \(D\)-particle foam, (c) Propagation of unorthodox photons in a \(D\)-particle foam background, (d) Stochastic flucatuations in the apparent velocity of light and, (e) Observational tests. It is claimed that the author's discussions amply demonstrate the possibility that at least some of the quantum gravity concepts can be made accessible to experimental tests without remaining forever in the realm of mathematical speculation only.