Remark on the QCD-electroweak phase transition in a supercooled Universe

TL;DR

This paper examines the nature of the QCD and electroweak phase transitions in a supercooled universe, highlighting the potential nonperturbative effects of the top-Higgs Yukawa interaction on the order of these transitions.

Contribution

It challenges the assumption that the chiral phase transition is first order by analyzing the nonperturbative effects of the top-Higgs Yukawa coupling, suggesting possible second-order or mixed transition scenarios.

Findings

Top-Higgs Yukawa interaction is nonperturbatively large at the QCD scale.

Symmetries suggest top quarks condense via a second-order phase transition.

First-order transition in light-quark sector could trigger top condensation.

Abstract

In extensions of the Standard Model with no dimensionful parameters the electroweak phase transition can be delayed to temperatures of order 100 MeV. Then the chiral phase transition of QCD can proceed with 6 massless quarks. The top-quark condensate destabilizes the Higgs potential through the Yukawa interaction, triggering the electroweak transition. Based on the symmetries of massless QCD, it has been argued that the chiral phase transition is first order. We point out that the top-Higgs Yukawa interaction is nonperturbatively large at the QCD scale, and that its effect on the chiral phase transition may not be negligible, violating some of the symmetries of massless QCD. The remaining symmetries indicate that top quarks condense in a second-order phase transition, but top condensation might also be triggered by a first-order symmetry-breaking transition in the light-quark sector.