Phenomenology of Space-time Imperfection II: Local Defects

Abstract

We propose a phenomenological model for the scattering of particles on space-time defects in a treatment that maintains Lorentz-invariance on the average. The local defects considered here cause a stochastic violation of momentum conservation. The scattering probability is parameterized in the density of defects and the distribution of the momentum that a particle can obtain when scattering on the defect. We identify the most promising observable consequences and derive constraints from existing data.

Comments: 19 pages, 5 figures, replaced to match published version