Wavepackets and Duality in Noncommutative Planar Quantum Mechanics

Effects of noncommutativity are investigated in planar quantum mechanics in the coordinate representation. Generally these issues are addressed by converting to the momentum space. In the first part of the work we show noncommutative effects in a Gaussian wavepacket through the broadening of its width. We also rederive results on ∗-product of Gaussian wavepackets. In the second part, we construct a ”Master” model for a noncommutative harmonic oscillator by embedding it in an extended space. Different gauge choices leading to different forms of noncommutativity, (such as between coordinates only, between momenta only or noncommutativity of a more general kind), can be studied in a unified and systematic manner. Thus the dual nature of these theories are also revealed.