Related papers: Cosmological Phase Transitions
The dynamics of a cosmological (de)confinement phase transition is studied in nearly conformally invariant field theories, where confinement is predominantly spontaneously generated and associated with a light "dilaton" field. We show how…
We discuss recent progress (and controversies) in the theory of finite temperature phase transitions. This includes the structure of the effective potential at a finite temperature, the infrared problem in quantum statistics of gauge…
This is an introduction to the study of strongly interacting matter. We survey its different possible states and discuss the transition from hadronic matter to a plasma of deconfined quarks and gluons. Following this, we summarize the…
A unified description of i) classical phase transitions and their remnants in finite systems and ii) quantum phase transitions is presented. The ensuing discussion relies on the interplay between, on the one hand, the thermodynamic concepts…
The current description of fundamental interactions is based on two theories with the status of standard models. The electromagnetic and nuclear interactions are described at a quantum level by the Standard Model of particle physics, using…
We discuss a cosmological phase transition within the Standard Model which incorporates spontaneously broken scale invariance as a low-energy theory. In addition to the Standard Model fields, the minimal model involves a light dilaton,…
We review the current methods and results of lattice simulations of quantum chromodynamics at nonzero temperatures and densities. The review is intended to introduce the subject to interested nonspecialists and beginners. It includes a…
The scenario that some first-order phase transitions may have taken place in the early Universe offers us one of the most intriguing and fascinating questions in cosmology. Indeed, the role played by the latent "heat" or energy released in…
The dynamics of the electroweak phase transition in the early universe has profound implications for cosmology and particle physics. We systematically study the steady-state dynamics of bubble walls in scenarios where the transition is…
A general procedure for studying finite-N effects in quantum phase transitions of finite systems is presented and applied to the critical-point dynamics of nuclei undergoing a shape-phase transition of second-order (continuous), and of…
We give a pedagogical introduction to quantum anomalies, how they are calculated using various methods, and why they are important in condensed matter theory. We discuss axial, chiral, and gravitational anomalies as well as global…
Metal--insulator transitions and transitions between different quantum Hall liquids are used to describe the physical ideas forming the basis of quantum phase transitions and the methods of application of theoretical results in processing…
The finite temperature electroweak phase transition is studied on the lattice. The results of the simulations obtained by the 3-dimensional effective theories and the 4-dimensional SU(2)-Higgs model are reviewed.
An effective Hamiltonian describing interaction between generic "fast" and a "slow" systems is obtained in the strong interaction limit. The result is applied for studying the effect of quantum phase transition as a bifurcation of the…
An introduction to particle aspects of cosmology with particular refrence to primordial nucleosynthesis, dark matter and baryogenesis is provided. In particular, various scenarios-GUT baryogenesis, electroweak baryogenesis and baryogenesis…
It is believed at present that the chiral transition changes from a smooth crossover to a first-order transition at low temperatures and high densities. Such regime is commonly analyzed using effective models since first principle…
New field content beyond that of the Standard Model of particle physics can alter the thermal history of electroweak symmetry breaking in the early universe. In particular, the symmetry breaking may have occurred through a sequence of…
Modern cosmology has created a tight link between particle physics / field theory and a wealth of new observational data on the structure of the Universe. These lecture notes focus on some of the most important aspects concerning the…
We discuss here phase transitions in quantum field theory in the context of vacuum realignment through an explicit construction. Vacuum destabilisation may occur through a scalar attaining a nonzero expectation value, or through a…
After some introductory remarks about the prospects of first order phase transitions in the early universe, we discuss in some detail the electroweak phase transition. In the standard model case a clear picture is arising including…