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Phys. Rev. D 69, 025009 (2004) [13 pages]

One-loop corrections to the metastable vacuum decay

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Jürgen Baacke *
Institut für Physik, Universität Dortmund, D-44221 Dortmund, Germany

George Lavrelashvili †
Department of Theoretical Physics, A.Razmadze Mathematical Institute, GE-0193 Tbilisi, Georgia

Received 30 July 2003; published 30 January 2004

We evaluate the one-loop prefactor in the false vacuum decay rate in a theory of a self-interacting scalar field in 3+1 dimensions. We use a numerical method, established some time ago, which is based on a well-known theorem on functional determinants. The proper handling of zero modes and of renormalization is discussed. The numerical results show in particular that the quantum corrections strongly increase when one approaches the thin-wall case. In the thin-wall limit the numerical results are found to join into those obtained by a gradient expansion.


©2004 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevD.69.025009
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.69.025009
PACS: 11.27.+d, 02.60.-x, 03.65.Sq, 03.70.+k

* Electronic address: baacke@physik.uni-dortmund.de
† Electronic address: lavrela@rmi.acnet.ge

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