If our universe is in a false vacuum state rather than a true vacuum state, then the decay from the less stable false vacuum to the more stable true vacuum (called false vacuum decay) could have dramatic consequences. This type of vacuum state is called a "false vacuum".
It is possible that a physical vacuum state is a configuration of quantum fields representing a local minimum but not global minimum of energy. A true vacuum is stable because it is at a global minimum of energy, and is commonly assumed to coincide with the physical vacuum state we live in. Despite the name, the vacuum still has quantum fields. false vacuum Ī vacuum is defined as a space with as little energy in it as possible. The most common suggestion of how such a decay might happen in our universe is called bubble nucleation – if a small region of the universe by chance reached a more stable vacuum, this "bubble" (also called "bounce") would spread.Ī false vacuum exists at a local minimum of energy and is therefore not completely stable, in contrast to a true vacuum, which exists at a global minimum and is stable.ĭefinition of true vs. It may last for a very long time in that state, but could eventually decay to the more stable state, an event known as false vacuum decay. In quantum field theory, a false vacuum is a hypothetical vacuum that is relatively stable, but not in the most stable state possible. Therefore, the transition to the true vacuum must be stimulated by the creation of high-energy particles or through quantum-mechanical tunneling. The energy E is higher in the false vacuum than that in the true vacuum or ground state, but there is a barrier preventing the field from classically rolling down to the true vacuum. A scalar field φ (which represents physical position) in a false vacuum.
0 kommentar(er)
