Fate of the classical false vacuum

TL;DR

This paper investigates the decay process of the classical false vacuum in a 2+1 dimensional $\

Contribution

It introduces a phenomenological model that quantitatively describes false vacuum decay based on numerical simulations of a classical $\

Findings

Effective equation of the order parameter accurately models false vacuum decay.

Order parameter transitions exhibit dynamical features of the Maxwell construction.

Simulations confirm the phenomenological theory's predictions.

Abstract

Thermalisation of configurations with initial white noise power spectrum is studied in numerical simulations of a classical one-component $\Phi^4$ theory in 2+1 dimensions, coupled to a small amplitude homogenous external field. The study is performed for energy densities corresponding to the broken symmetry phase of the system in equilibrium. The effective equation of the order parameter motion is reconstructed from its trajectory which starts from an initial value near the metastable point and ends in the stable ground state. This phenomenological theory quantitatively accounts for the decay of the false vacuum. The large amplitude transition of the order parameter between the two minima displays characteristics reflecting dynamical aspects of the Maxwell construction.