Research of the Behavior of the Effective Potential in Systems with Phase Transitions through the Prism of A--D--E Type Singularities

TL;DR

This paper investigates the effective potential landscape in systems with phase transitions, focusing on A--D--E type singularities, and assesses the detectability of a scalar singlet through collider and gravitational wave observations.

Contribution

It introduces a topological analysis of the effective potential's singularities, particularly the Milnor number, to predict phase transition characteristics and experimental signatures.

Findings

The portal potential exhibits a non-simple singularity with Milnor number μ=9.

High-precision measurements can probe the critical structure of the electroweak vacuum.

Future collider and gravitational wave experiments will thoroughly test the singlet scenario.

Abstract

Detecting a scalar singlet interacting through the Higgs portal demands a pivot from conventional particle detection strategies to a comprehensive examination of the effective potential's landscape. The presence, intensity, and first-order nature of the electroweak phase transition are dictated by the critical manifold, with its universal traits encapsulated in the Milnor number $\mu$ -- the dimensionality of the local Jacobian algebra. Throughout the parameter space consistent with experimental observations, the portal potential exhibits a non-simple singularity with $\mu = 9$, maintaining topological stability amid substantial fluctuations in mixing angle, singlet mass, and cubic interactions. High-precision assessments of the Higgs trilinear self-coupling ($\kappa_\lambda$), the uniform rescaling of Higgs couplings ($c_H$), and the stochastic gravitational-wave spectrum ($\Omega_{\mathrm{GW}}$) collectively delineate the catastrophe, extending beyond mere mass matrix analysis. Projections for 2027--2040 collider and LISA capabilities indicate that no viable region supporting a strong first-order transition will evade scrutiny; thus, the singlet will either be identified or conclusively dismissed via direct interrogation of the electroweak vacuum's critical structure.