Dissipation, Noise, and Vacuum Decay in Quantum Field Theory

2001/01/31 by Esteban Calzetta, Albert Roura, Enric Verdaguer · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Dissipation #False vacuum #Field (mathematics) #Noise (video) #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect #Quantum electrodynamics #Quantum field theory #Quantum fluctuation #Quantum mechanics #Vacuum state #Wigner distribution function #hep-ph #stochastic dynamics and bifurcation

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.88.010403

published as Phys.Rev.Lett. 88 (2002) 010403 · 5 pages

arxiv created 2001/08/02 · openalex publication_date 2001/12/18 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We study the process of vacuum decay in quantum field theory focusing on the stochastic aspects of the interaction between long- and short-wavelength modes. This interaction results in a diffusive behavior of the reduced Wigner function describing the state of long-wavelength modes, and thereby to a finite activation rate even at zero temperature. This effect can make a substantial contribution to the total decay rate.

Citations

• Fate of the false vacuum: Semiclassical theory
• Fate of the false vacuum. II. First quantum corrections
• Quantum tunnelling in a dissipative system
• Noise induced transitions in semiclassical cosmology
• Evaluation of thermal corrections to false vacuum decay rates
• Stochastic behavior of effective field theories across the threshold
• One-loop corrections to the bubble nucleation rate at finite temperature

Cited by

• Stochastic gravity: a primer with applications
• Quantum Brownian Representation for the Quantum Field Modes