Numerical simulations on First-order phase transition through thermal fluctuation

TL;DR

This paper numerically investigates first-order phase transitions in the early universe driven by thermal fluctuations, highlighting bubble formation, oscillons, and gravitational wave signatures.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical analysis of thermal fluctuation-induced phase transitions, including bubble dynamics, decay rates, and gravitational wave predictions.

Findings

Bubble-like configurations appear near the background field's mass scale.

Oscillons form and collide, completing the phase transition.

Gravitational wave signals are associated with the transition.

Abstract

In this Letter, we numerically present the possibility of the first-order phase transition occurring through the thermal fluctuation in the early universe. We find that when the temperature is slightly higher than the mass scale of the background field, the bubble-like field configurations appear proceeded by oscillons, which expand and collide to finish the phase transition. We provide the false vacuum decay rate and the accompanied gravitational waves. We also present the vacuum phase transition comparison of the quantum tunneling case and thermal fluctuation case.