Study: Cosmic Expansion May Have Locked Universe in Stable State
A new paper in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics argues quantum decoherence from rapid early expansion may have curbed false vacuum decay.
A research team has published a study claiming that quantum decoherence caused by the early universe's rapid expansion may have locked the cosmos into a stable state, making false vacuum decay less likely than previously feared. The paper appeared in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.
The team found that a quantum field's tunneling capabilities become curbed by decoherence, a mechanism they say could have triggered a "cosmic lockdown" during the universe's rapid early expansion.
Robson Christie, a physicist at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K., is the study's first author. Gregory Kaplanek, a postdoctoral researcher at Syracuse University, is a co-author.
Why the Higgs Field Matters
The Higgs boson assigns mass to particles, and exploring this led physicists to realize the universe might not be at its most stable state.
Quick answers
What is false vacuum decay?
It is a theoretical process in which the universe could transition to a more stable state. The study claims decoherence from rapid early expansion may have made this less likely.
Where was the study published?
In the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.
Who led the research?
Robson Christie of the University of Portsmouth is the first author, with Gregory Kaplanek of Syracuse University as a co-author.