Formation of Vortices in First Order Phase Transitions

Abstract

Using a toy model Lagrangian we investigate the formation of vortices in first order phase transitions. The evolution and interactions of vacuum bubbles are also studied using both analytical approximations and a numerical simulation of scalar field dynamics. A long lived bubble wall bound state is discovered and its existence is justified by using a simplified potential for the bubble wall interaction. The conditions that need to be satisfied for vortex formation by bubble collisions are also studied with particular emphasis placed on geometrical considerations. These conditions are then implemented in a Monte Carlo simulation for the study of the probability of defect formation. It is shown that the probability of vortex formation by collision of relativistically expanding bubbles gets reduced by about 10% due to the above mentioned geometric effects.

14 pages, LaTeX, 6 figures not included. Full version available e-mail under request to [email protected] or [email protected]

References in corpus (6)

• Towards the Theory of Cosmological Phase Transitions
• Topological Defects and Structure Formation
• Formation of Topological Defects at First Order Phase Transitions
• On the Production of Flux Vortices and Magnetic Monopoles in Phase Transitions
• Kinetics of Sub-Critical Bubbles and the Electroweak Transition
• Formation of Topological Defects in a Second Order Phase Transition

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• The Rise and Fall of the Cosmic String Theory for Cosmological Perturbations
• Measuring Cosmic Defect Correlations in Liquid Crystals
• Relaxing the Geodesic Rule in Defect Formation Algorithms
• Cosmological Consequences of Slow-Moving Bubbles in First-Order Phase Transitions
• Bubble Collisions and Defect Formation in a Damping Environment
• How does the geodesic rule really work for global symmetry breaking first order phase transitions?
• Defect Formation in First Order Phase Transitions with Damping
• Defect Formation Rates in Cosmological First-Order Phase Transitions