Thermal Phase Mixing During First Order Phase Transitions

Details Thermal Phase Mixing During First Order Phase Transitions Thermal Phase Mixing During First Order Phase Transitions

1994-10-06

arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/9410235v2

Phys.Rev. D51 (1995) 4111-4121

Physics

High Energy Physics

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology

28 pages RevTeX, 9 postscript figures, IMPERIAL/TP/93-94/58, DART-HEP-94/06

Scientific paper

10.1103/PhysRevD.51.4111

The dynamics of first order phase transitions are studied in the context of (3+1)-dimensional scalar field theories. Particular attention is paid to the question of quantifying the strength of the transition, and how `weak' and `strong' transitions have different dynamics. We propose a model with two available low temperature phases separated by an energy barrier so that one of them becomes metastable below the critical temperature $T_c$. The system is initially prepared in this phase and is coupled to a thermal bath. Investigating the system at its critical temperature, we find that `strong' transitions are characterized by the system remaining localized within its initial phase, while `weak' transitions are characterized by considerable phase mixing. Always at $T_c$, we argue that the two regimes are themselves separated by a (second order) phase transition, with an order parameter given by the fractional population difference between the two phases and a control parameter given by the strength of the scalar field's quartic self-coupling constant. We obtain a Ginzburg-like criterion to distinguish between `weak' and `strong' transitions, in agreement with previous results in (2+1)-dimensions.

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