Vacuum Decay and Euclidean Lattice Monte Carlo

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel Monte Carlo-based method to compute vacuum decay rates directly from Euclidean lattice simulations, overcoming previous analytic and numerical challenges.

Contribution

The paper develops a new methodology for calculating vacuum decay rates from Euclidean lattice Monte Carlo simulations, applicable to quantum mechanics and potentially extendable to field theories.

Findings

Validated the method on simple quantum mechanical systems with metastable vacua

Demonstrated the feasibility of Monte Carlo computation of decay rates

Discussed extension prospects to Euclidean field theories

Abstract

The decay rate of a metastable vacuum is usually calculated using a semiclassical approximation to the Euclidean path integral. The extension to a complete Euclidean lattice Monte Carlo computation, however, is hampered by analytic continuations that are ill-suited to numerical treatment, and the nonequilibrium nature of a metastable state. In this paper we develop a new methodology to compute vacuum decay rates from Monte Carlo simulations of Euclidean lattice theories. To test the new method, we consider simple quantum mechanical systems systems with metastable vacua. This work can be extended to Euclidean field theories, which we discuss in the Conclusions.