Tunneling decay of false vortices
Abstract
We consider the decay of vortices trapped in the false vacuum of a theory of scalar electrodynamics in 2+1 dimensions. The potential is inspired by models with intermediate symmetry breaking to a metastable vacuum that completely breaks a U(1) symmetry, while in the true vacuum, the symmetry is unbroken. The false vacuum is unstable through the formation of true vacuum bubbles; however, the rate of decay can be extremely long. On the other hand, the false vacuum can contain metastable vortex solutions. These vortices contain the true vacuum inside in addition to a unit of magnetic flux and the appropriate topologically nontrivial false vacuum outside. We numerically establish the existence of vortex solutions which are classically stable; however, they can decay via tunneling. In general terms, they tunnel to a configuration which is a large, thin-walled vortex configuration that is now classically unstable to the expansion of its radius. We compute an estimate for the tunneling amplitude in the semiclassical approximation. We believe our analysis would be relevant to superconducting thin films or superfluids.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review D
- Pub Date:
- October 2013
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevD.88.085031
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1308.3501
- Bibcode:
- 2013PhRvD..88h5031L
- Keywords:
-
- 11.27.+d;
- 98.80.Cq;
- 11.15.Ex;
- 11.15.Kc;
- Extended classical solutions;
- cosmic strings domain walls texture;
- Particle-theory and field-theory models of the early Universe;
- Spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetries;
- Classical and semiclassical techniques;
- High Energy Physics - Theory;
- Condensed Matter - Superconductivity
- E-Print:
- 27 pages, 9 figures