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Journal article : Letter

Symmetry restoration and vacuum decay from accretion around black holes

Abstract:
Vacuum decay and symmetry breaking play an important role in the fundamental structure of the matter and the evolution of the Universe. In this work we study how the purely classical effect of accretion of fundamental fields onto black holes can lead to shells of symmetry restoration in the midst of a symmetry broken phase. We also show how it can catalyze vacuum decay, forming a bubble that expands asymptotically at the speed of light. These effects offer an alternative, purely classical mechanism to quantum tunneling for seeding phase transitions in the Universe.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1103/physrevd.111.l041501

Authors

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Astrophysics
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Astrophysics
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0001-9584-5791
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Astrophysics
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0001-8841-1522
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Astrophysics
Oxford college:
Oriel College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-3021-2851


More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/057g20z61
Grant:
ST/W000903/1
ST/K000373/1


Publisher:
American Physical Society
Journal:
Physical Review D (particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology) More from this journal
Volume:
111
Issue:
4
Article number:
L041501
Publication date:
2025-02-04
Acceptance date:
2025-01-02
DOI:
EISSN:
2470-0029
ISSN:
2470-0010


Language:
English
Subtype:
Letter
Pubs id:
2084788
Local pid:
pubs:2084788
Deposit date:
2025-08-11
ARK identifier:

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