Speaker
Description
Cosmological phase transitions that are strongly first order are well motivated in physics beyond the standard model, for example as part of an electroweak baryogenesis solution to the matter anti-matter asymmetry, and could give rise to an observable gravitational wave spectra. Based on https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02357 and https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.07559 I discuss various subtle issues in the prediction of gravitational wave spectra from first order phase transitions that can significantly impact the predictions and review the current status of predictions for gravitational waves from first order phase transitions. In particular I will discuss criteria for determining if a phase transition completes, the dependence of gravitational wave spectra on the choice of a reference temperature and other thermal parameters, the use of fit formulae from simulations and analytical calculations of gravitational wave spectra, and recent developments that affect these.
