Aleksandr Chatrchyan, Vacuum decay induced by cosmic strings

Monday 23 Mar 2026, 13:30 → 15:00 Europe/Stockholm

Albano 3: 6228 - Mega (22 seats) (Albano Building 3)

False vacuum decay in quantum field theory typically proceeds via the nucleation of spherical bubbles of true vacuum, described by O(4) symmetric field configurations in Euclidean time. In this work, we investigate how the presence of cosmic strings affects the decay process. We consider a complex scalar field charged under a U(1) symmetry, with a non-trivial vacuum manifold, realizable for example in a simple sextic potential. Building up on earlier results in the literature, we derive relativistic bounce solutions with O(2)×O(2) symmetry in the thin-wall limit. We further discuss the evolution and possible observational signatures of these string-seeded, nonspherical bubbles.