Role of dissipation in biasing the vacuum selection in quantum field theory at finite temperature

Journal Article · Mon Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.72.045017· OSTI ID:20711381

Freire, F; Achucarro, A ^[1]; Antunes, N D ^[2]; Salmi, P ^[1]

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1. Instituut-Lorentz, Universiteit Leiden, P. O. Box 9506, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands)
2. Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ (United Kingdom)

We study the symmetry breaking pattern of an O(4) symmetric model of scalar fields, with both charged and neutral fields, interacting with a photon bath. Nagasawa and Brandenberger argued that in favorable circumstances the vacuum manifold would be reduced from S{sup 3} to S{sup 1}. Here it is shown that a selective condensation of the neutral fields, that are not directly coupled to photons, can be achieved in the presence of a minimal external dissipation, i.e. not related to interactions with a bath. This should be relevant in the early universe or in heavy-ion collisions where dissipation occurs due to expansion.

• OSTI ID: 20711381
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 72, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.72.045017; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
HEAVY ION REACTIONS
O GROUPS
PHOTONS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
SCALAR FIELDS
SYMMETRY BREAKING
UNIVERSE
VACUUM STATES