11–13 May 2026
University of Pittsburgh
US/Eastern timezone

Computing bubble wall velocity from entropy

11 May 2026, 17:30
15m
University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

Particle Cosmology Cosmology

Speaker

Isaac Wang

Description

A precise determination of the bubble wall velocity $v_w$ is crucial for making accurate predictions of the baryon asymmetry and gravitational wave (GW) signals in models of electroweak baryogenesis (EWBG).
Working in the local thermal equilibrium approximation, we exploit entropy conservation to present efficient algorithms for computing $v_w$, significantly streamlining the calculation.
We then explore the parameter dependencies of $v_w$, focusing on two sample models capable of enabling a strong first-order electroweak phase transition: a $\mathbb{Z}_2$-symmetric singlet extension of the SM, and a model for baryogenesis with CP violation in the dark sector.
We study correlations among $v_w$ and the two common measures of phase transition strength, $\alpha_n$ and $v_n/T_n$.
Interestingly, we find a relatively model-insensitive relationship between $v_n/T_n$ and $\alpha_n$.
We also observe an upper bound on $\alpha_n$ for the deflagration/hybrid wall profiles naturally compatible with EWBG, the exact value for which varies between models, significantly impacting the strength of the GW signals.
In summary, our work provides a framework for exploring the feasibility of EWBG models in light of future GW signals.

Author

Isaac Wang

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