Quantum and Gradient Corrections to False Vacuum Decay on a de Sitter Background

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a fixed de Sitter spacetime background influences false vacuum decay, calculating quantum and gradient corrections to the decay rate without assuming wall thickness, relevant for cosmological phase transitions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed computation of quantum and gradient corrections to false vacuum decay in de Sitter space using two independent methods, without assuming wall thickness.

Findings

Quantified the size of quantum and gradient corrections in de Sitter space.

Developed two independent methodologies for calculating decay rates.

Neglected backreaction to focus on curvature effects.

Abstract

We study the effects of a fixed de Sitter geometry background in scenarios of false vacuum decay. It is currently understood that bubble nucleation processes associated with first order phase transitions are particularly important in cosmology. The geometry of spacetime complicates the interpretation of the decay rate of a metastable vacuum. However, the effects of curvature can still be studied in the particular case where backreaction is neglected. We compute the imaginary part of the action in de Sitter space, including the one-loop and the gradient corrections. We use two independent methodologies and quantify the size of the corrections without any assumptions on the thickness of the wall of the scalar background configuration.