A universe born in a metastable false vacuum state needs not die

TL;DR

This paper derives conditions under which a universe originating from a metastable false vacuum can survive indefinitely, suggesting that electroweak vacuum instability may not doom our universe.

Contribution

It introduces inequalities linking decay rate and Hubble parameter that determine universe survival, providing new insights into false vacuum stability.

Findings

High likelihood of universe survival if false vacuum lifetime is much shorter than inflation duration

Decay rate properties of metastable states are analyzed and linked to universe stability

Electroweak vacuum instability does not necessarily lead to universe's death

Abstract

We try to find conditions, the fulfillment of which allows a universe born in a metastable false vacuum state to survive and not to collapse. The conditions found are in the form of inequalities linking the depending on time $t$ instantaneous decay rate ${\it\Gamma}(t)$ of the false vacuum state and the Hubble parameter $H(t)$. Properties of the decay rate of a quantum metastable states are discussed and then the possible solutions of the conditions found are analyzed and discussed. Within the model considered it is shown that a universe born in the metastable vacuum state has a very high chance of surviving until very late times if the lifetime, $\tau_{0}^{F}$, of the metastable false vacuum state is much shorter, than the duration of the inflation process. Our analysis shows that the instability of the electroweak vacuum does not have to result in the tragic fate of our Universe leading to its death.