Speaker
Alex Jenkins
(University of Cambridge)
Description
Bubble nucleation plays a pivotal role in many models of particle physics and the early Universe, and is a promising potential source of cosmological gravitational waves. However, we lack a satisfying theoretical understanding of this process, with existing approaches working only in imaginary (Euclidean) time, and relying on assumptions that have yet to be empirically tested. A promising route forward is to use cold-atom systems which undergo first-order phase transitions that are analogous to vacuum decay. In this talk, I will present recent theoretical work to understand this analogy using semiclassical lattice simulations, and will discuss possibilities and challenges for realising these analogues in the laboratory.
Primary author
Alex Jenkins
(University of Cambridge)