Vacuum decay in quantum field theory
We study the contribution to vacuum decay in field theory due to the interaction between the long- and short-wavelength modes of the field. The field model considered consists of a scalar field of mass M with a cubic term in the potential. The dynamics of the long-wavelength modes becomes diffusive...
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| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_05562821_v64_n10_p_Calzetta |
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todo:paper_05562821_v64_n10_p_Calzetta2023-10-03T15:35:42Z Vacuum decay in quantum field theory Calzetta, E. Roura, A. Verdaguer, E. analytic method article decomposition phase transition probability quantum theory vacuum We study the contribution to vacuum decay in field theory due to the interaction between the long- and short-wavelength modes of the field. The field model considered consists of a scalar field of mass M with a cubic term in the potential. The dynamics of the long-wavelength modes becomes diffusive in this interaction. The diffusive behavior is described by the reduced Wigner function that characterizes the state of the long-wavelength modes. This function is obtained from the whole Wigner function by integration of the degrees of freedom of the short-wavelength modes. The dynamical equation for the reduced Wigner function becomes a kind of Fokker-Planck equation which is solved with suitable boundary conditions enforcing an initial metastable vacuum state trapped in the potential well. As a result a finite activation rate is found, even at zero temperature, for the formation of true vacuum bubbles of size M-1. This effect makes a substantial contribution to the total decay rate. ©2001 The American Physical Society. JOUR info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_05562821_v64_n10_p_Calzetta |
| institution |
Universidad de Buenos Aires |
| institution_str |
I-28 |
| repository_str |
R-134 |
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Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA) |
| topic |
analytic method article decomposition phase transition probability quantum theory vacuum |
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analytic method article decomposition phase transition probability quantum theory vacuum Calzetta, E. Roura, A. Verdaguer, E. Vacuum decay in quantum field theory |
| topic_facet |
analytic method article decomposition phase transition probability quantum theory vacuum |
| description |
We study the contribution to vacuum decay in field theory due to the interaction between the long- and short-wavelength modes of the field. The field model considered consists of a scalar field of mass M with a cubic term in the potential. The dynamics of the long-wavelength modes becomes diffusive in this interaction. The diffusive behavior is described by the reduced Wigner function that characterizes the state of the long-wavelength modes. This function is obtained from the whole Wigner function by integration of the degrees of freedom of the short-wavelength modes. The dynamical equation for the reduced Wigner function becomes a kind of Fokker-Planck equation which is solved with suitable boundary conditions enforcing an initial metastable vacuum state trapped in the potential well. As a result a finite activation rate is found, even at zero temperature, for the formation of true vacuum bubbles of size M-1. This effect makes a substantial contribution to the total decay rate. ©2001 The American Physical Society. |
| format |
JOUR |
| author |
Calzetta, E. Roura, A. Verdaguer, E. |
| author_facet |
Calzetta, E. Roura, A. Verdaguer, E. |
| author_sort |
Calzetta, E. |
| title |
Vacuum decay in quantum field theory |
| title_short |
Vacuum decay in quantum field theory |
| title_full |
Vacuum decay in quantum field theory |
| title_fullStr |
Vacuum decay in quantum field theory |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Vacuum decay in quantum field theory |
| title_sort |
vacuum decay in quantum field theory |
| url |
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_05562821_v64_n10_p_Calzetta |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT calzettae vacuumdecayinquantumfieldtheory AT rouraa vacuumdecayinquantumfieldtheory AT verdaguere vacuumdecayinquantumfieldtheory |
| _version_ |
1807316355151560704 |