Speaker
Description
False vacuum decay (FVD) is at the heart of many open questions in cosmology and fundamental physics including, for example, eternal inflation, baryon asymmetry, and Higgs stability. Semiclassical lattice simulations have recently been proposed as a way of describing the phenomenon in real time. These numerical methods will be complemented by upcoming tabletop experiments based on cold-atom analogues, which are expected to probe the full non-perturbative dynamics of FVD in the near future. In this talk, I will present the first characterization of observables beyond the decay rate in such lattice simulations and outline prospects for experimental investigation. The field profile at nucleation time, in particular, contains crucial information on the nature of the observed decay channel and on the effective potential acting on long-wavelength modes. By quantifying renormalization effects, we aim to build a deeper understanding of the correspondence between lattice parameters and observable quantities. This work constitutes a step towards the long-term goal of gaining new insight into cosmological signatures of early-Universe phase transitions.