Work

Maxwell construction for scalar field theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Using a nonperturbative approximation for the partition function of a complex scalar model, which features spontaneous symmetry breaking, we explicitly derive the flattening of the effective potential in the region limited by the minima of the bare potential. This flattening occurs in the limit of infinite volume and is a consequence of the summation over the continuous set of saddle points which dominate the partition function. We also prove the convexity of the effective potential and generalize the Maxwell construction for scalar theories with $O(N)$ symmetry. Finally, we discuss why the flattening of the effective potential cannot occur in the Abelian Higgs theory.

Source: Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields

DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.87.025028

Authors: J. Alexandre, A. Tsapalis

Institutions: King's College London, Hellenic Naval Academy, National Technical University of Athens

Language: English

Topic: Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies

Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Science and Technology Facilities Council

Award: Symmetry, supersymmetry, strings, branes and gauge theories; physics from the Planck to the QCD scale.