Physics:Quantum false vacuum
A quantum false vacuum is a metastable vacuum state that is locally stable but not the true lowest-energy state of a field theory. It can persist for a long time if a barrier separates it from a lower-energy vacuum, but quantum tunnelling or thermal effects may allow decay. False-vacuum ideas appear in particle physics, cosmology, inflationary models, and discussions of vacuum stability.[1][2]
Metastability
A false vacuum is stable against small disturbances but can decay through a nonclassical transition. The decay is often described by bubble nucleation, in which a region of lower-energy vacuum forms and expands if energetically favored.[3]
Cosmological role
False-vacuum states are used in models of cosmic inflation and phase transitions in the early universe. They provide a way to connect quantum fields with large-scale spacetime evolution.
Standard Model context
The measured Higgs and top-quark parameters are used to study whether the electroweak vacuum is absolutely stable, metastable, or sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model.[4]
See also
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References
- ↑ "False vacuum". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_vacuum.
- ↑ "Review of Particle Physics". Physical Review D 110 (3): 030001. 2024. DOI 10.1103/PhysRevD.110.030001.
- ↑ "False vacuum". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_vacuum.
- ↑ "Review of Particle Physics". Physical Review D 110 (3): 030001. 2024. DOI 10.1103/PhysRevD.110.030001.
Source attribution: Physics:Quantum false vacuum