Phase transitions in de Sitter spacetimes : Quantum Corrections

• We investigate the decay rate of a false vacuum state in de Sitter space at high Hubble rates, using two methods: the Hawking-Moss instanton method which is fully quantum mechanical but relies on the saddlepoint approximation, and the Starobinsky-Yokoyama stochastic approach which is nonperturbative but does not include quantum effects. We use the flux over population method to compute the Hawking-Moss decay rate at one-loop order, and demonstrate that in its domain of validity, it is reproduced by the stochastic calculation using the one-loop constraint effective potential. This suggests that the stochastic approach together with the constraint effective potential can be used to accurately describe vacuum decay beyond the saddle-point approximation.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology (hsv//eng)

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