Nuclear and Particle Physics

HEP NP FREIA Seminar |  Gravitational waves and classical dynamics at high temperatures | Andreas Ekstedt

by Andreas Ekstedt (DESY/ UU)

Europe/Stockholm
Beurling room (Ångström lab)

Beurling room

Ångström lab

Description
 
Abstract:
Be it phase transitions; Baryon violation; photon emission from heavy-ion collisions; or axion production; thermal field theory is indispensable all the same. Whilst the picture is quite complicated for generic systems, the physics is considerably simpler if we look at length-scales of the order $L\gg T^{-1}$. In this talk I will use this to show how classical equations of motion emerge when studying phase transitions in the early Universe. I describe how phenomena such as bubble collisions, and growth, can be studied by using real-time equations of motion. Associated with this, I discuss the main uncertainties, and what it would take to obtain robust gravitational-wave predictions.