REVIEW
Analytic bounces in d dimensions
High Energy Physics - Theory · Submitted 29 Sep 2020 · 22 references
Pith's verdict: Solid extension of exact bounces to general d, with standard derivations and thin-wall checks; the smooth-quadratic branch selection is the one real gap.
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Referee report
The paper
The paper claims
This paper derives analytic false-vacuum decay exponents for scalar potentials in arbitrary spacetime dimension d, extending known four-dimensional results.
The reading
What carries the argument
The load-bearing object is the Euclidean bounce $\varphi(r)$: an $O(d)$-symmetric solution of $\varphi'' + \frac{d-1}{r}\varphi' = V'(\varphi)$, with $\varphi(r)\to \varphi_+$ as $r\to\infty$ and $\varphi'(0)=0$. For each potential the equation is integrable in elementary or special functions — power laws for the linear and square-potential branches, and modified Bessel functions $I_{d/2-1}(mr)$, $K_{d/2-1}(mr)$ for the quadratic branches. The bounce action is then the action functional evaluated on this solution minus the false-vacuum background; the only non-explicit ingredient is a matching radius ($R_T$ or $R_1$) fixed by requiring the field and its derivative to be continuous at the junction between branches. For the smooth quadratic potential an infinite family of such radii solves the junction condition, and the paper selects the smallest one, $R_1^{(1)}$.
Extended reading notes
Core claim
The central discovery is that for the triangular potential, the square potential, the 'volcanic' piecewise-quadratic potential, and the smooth quadratic potential with a quadratic cap, the spherically symmetric Euclidean equation of motion can be solved in closed form in any dimension $d$. The bounce actions are Eqs. (3.5), (4.7), (5.11), and (5.26). In the degenerate-vacuum limit each formula reduces to the thin-wall result (2.6). Where the true vacuum is not reached at finite Euclidean radius, the Lorentzian continuation of the solution is a damped oscillation about the true vacuum with amplitude suppressed as $\tau^{-d/2}$.
Load-bearing premise
The physical bounce in the smooth quadratic case is assumed to be the smallest-radius solution $R_1^{(1)}$ of equation (5.25), supported by numerical evidence in $d=3,\ldots,6$; if a different branch $R_1^{(j)}$ has smaller action in some dimension, formula (5.26) would not give the decay exponent.
Editorial extensions
If this is right
- False-vacuum decay exponents for triangular, square, and quadratic potentials are now known in closed form for any spacetime dimension $d$.
- All derived formulas reduce to the thin-wall approximation in the degenerate-vacuum limit, providing a consistency check across $d$.
- For bounces that do not reach the true vacuum at finite Euclidean time, the Lorentzian-continued field oscillates with damping $\tau^{-d/2}$ around the true vacuum.
- The infinite family of candidate solutions for the smooth quadratic potential is resolved by selecting the branch with the smallest radius, $R_1^{(1)}$.
Reading between the lines
- The same Bessel-function reduction should be applicable to other potentials with quadratic asymptotics, for instance adding a small cubic term, giving controlled corrections to these exact actions.
- The closed-form actions in $d>4$ provide a quantitative way to test numerical bounce codes in regimes where no exact benchmarks previously existed.
- The branch-selection pattern for the smooth quadratic potential suggests that, when multiple Euler-Lagrange solutions exist, the minimal-action bounce may generally be the one with the smallest turning-point radius; testing this in other multi-branch potentials would clarify its scope.
- A direct comparison of the exact formulas with the thin-wall prediction at small but finite energy gap would quantify how quickly the thin-wall approximation sets in as $d$ grows, an extension not pursued in the paper.
Original abstract
We study the Euclidean bounce action interpolating between a false and a true vacuum for a scalar field theory with various types of potential. We focus on the cases of a triangular, a square and a quadratic barrier, where the bounce action has already been computed analytically in four dimensions. We generalize the result to d dimensions, providing an analytic formula in each case. Furthermore we show that our results reduce to the ones computed from the thin wall approximation, when the true and the false vacuum are close in energy. When the true vacuum cannot be reached in a finite amount of Euclidean time we study the damped oscillations of the solution by analytical continuation to Lorentzian spacetime.
The compiled record
The paper's own sentences, arranged, kept beside the review and separate from it. Each label is drawn from a closed vocabulary; the number beside it is the probability the classifier gave that label. Numbers in the tables are the authors', checked by code. No sentence in this record was written by a model.
The abstract, sentence by sentence
We study the Euclidean bounce action interpolating between a false and a true vacuum for a scalar field theory with various types of potential. We focus on the cases of a triangular, a square and a quadratic barrier, where the bounce action has already been computed analytically in four dimensions. We generalize the result to d dimensions, providing an analytic formula in each case. Furthermore we show that our results reduce to the ones computed from the thin wall approximation, when the true and the false vacuum are close in energy. When the true vacuum cannot be reached in a finite amount of Euclidean time we study the damped oscillations of the solution by analytical continuation to Lorentzian spacetime.
background contribution method result interpretation main claim
| # | sentence | role | the authors' own work | states the main conclusion | strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s0 | We study the Euclidean bounce action interpolating between a false and a true vacuum for a scalar field theory with various types of potential. | contribution 0.89 | 0.91 | 0.06 | asserted 0.91 |
| s1 | We focus on the cases of a triangular, a square and a quadratic barrier, where the bounce action has already been computed analytically in four dimensions. | background 0.82 | 0.18 | 0.05 | asserted 0.98 |
| s2 | We generalize the result to d dimensions, providing an analytic formula in each case. | contribution 0.70 | 0.96 | 0.68 | asserted 1.00 |
| s3 | Furthermore we show that our results reduce to the ones computed from the thin wall approximation, when the true and the false vacuum are close in energy. | result 0.85 | 0.91 | 0.15 | asserted 1.00 |
| s4 | When the true vacuum cannot be reached in a finite amount of Euclidean time we study the damped oscillations of the solution by analytical continuation to Lorentzian spacetime. | contribution 0.83 | 0.92 | 0.09 | asserted 0.99 |
What was examined, and what was not
- arXiv listing abstract v1
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- P abstract
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References
How the literature uses it
5 arXiv papers cite this in 6 sentences
Papers citing it · 3 sentences without a confident label
Uses its method or tool 1 paper
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The Euclidean action is estimated using the triangular approximation [ref] S_4^trg = 32π^2/31+c/(√(1+c)-1)^4 (Δϕ_+^4/ΔV_+) , where ΔV_+ ∼M^4 , Δϕ_+ ∼f , ΔV_- ∼g^4ϕ_c^4/λ , Δϕ_- ∼ϕ_c , c ≡ΔV_-/ΔV_+ Δϕ_+/ Δϕ_- ≈g^4/λ (ϕ_c/M)^4 f/ϕ_c = g Λ^3 f/λM^4 .
Attracting the Electroweak Scale to a Tachyonic Trap · Quantum tunneling · 1.00
Cites it as background 1 paper
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Also notable is the triangular potential with two piecewise linear segments that was solved exactly in $D=4$ [ref] , see also [ref] .
Analytic thin wall false vacuum decay rate · Introduction · 0.95
What it cites · 18 sentences without a confident label
Builds on 1 paper
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The asymptotic formula is [equation] such that [equation] where the oscillatory behavior is damped by the $τ^-d/2$ term, generalizing to $d$-dimensions the discussion of [ref] .
Exact Tunneling Solutions in Minkowski Spacetime and a Candidate for Dark Energy · Damped oscillations · 1.00
Cites as support 1 paper
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It has been shown in [ref] that ([ref]) is actually always satisfied with the potential given in formula ([ref]).
Exact Tunneling Solutions in Minkowski Spacetime and a Candidate for Dark Energy · The interpolating solution · 0.96
Cites as background 4 papers
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Non singular 4d quadratic potentials have been studied in [ref] while cubic and quartic cases have been further discussed in [ref] .
Exact Tunneling Solutions in Minkowski Spacetime and a Candidate for Dark Energy · Introduction · 0.86
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Non singular 4d quadratic potentials have been studied in [ref] while cubic and quartic cases have been further discussed in [ref] .
An Exact Tunneling Solution in a Simple Realistic Landscape · Introduction · 0.86
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Non singular 4d quadratic potentials have been studied in [ref] while cubic and quartic cases have been further discussed in [ref] .
The Overshoot Problem in Inflation after Tunneling · Introduction · 0.86
Discussion
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