Speaker
Alex Jenkins
(University of Cambridge)
Description
False vacuum decay plays a pivotal role in many models of particle physics and the early Universe, from inflation to the electroweak vacuum. However, we lack a satisfying theoretical understanding of this process, with existing approaches working only in imaginary (Euclidean) time, and relying on assumptions that have yet to be empirically tested.
In this talk, I will describe ongoing efforts to develop a real-time theory of vacuum decay by combining two new empirical approaches: semiclassical numerical simulations on the lattice, and quantum analogue experiments in the laboratory.
Author
Alex Jenkins
(University of Cambridge)