AI 中文总结
该研究提出用维格纳函数的量子场论中 metastable 态衰变框架，引入非微扰成核速率公式及微扰评估步骤，并应用于简单热学例子。导出的单圈成核速率与现有结果不同，是 Affleck 公式推广，揭示热真空衰变高温侧仍具量子力学特性。
AI 中文摘要
我们提出了一个使用维格纳函数的量子场论中 metastable 态衰变的新型实时框架。该框架引入了一个非微扰成核速率公式，它既捕捉量子隧穿又捕捉势垒上成核，并给出微扰评估步骤。我们将其应用于一个与当前模拟实验直接相关的简单热学例子。我们导出的单圈成核速率与 Linde 广泛引用的高温结果有根本不同：前置因子包含量子效应，在高温下渐近到不同形式，此时量子效应可忽略不计。该结果是 Affleck 速率公式到量子场论的推广，在高温下渐近到有效场论方法和 Langer 速率。这个例子还表明，热真空衰变的‘量子到经典’转变的高温侧即使反弹背景具有经典的\(\mathrm{O}(d)\times S^1\)对称性，本质上仍是量子力学的。
英文摘要
We present a novel real-time framework for the decay of metastable states in quantum field theories using Wigner functions. The framework introduces a nonperturbative nucleation rate formula that captures both quantum tunneling and over-the-barrier nucleation, alongside steps to evaluate it perturbatively. We apply it to a simple thermal example with direct relevance to current analog experiments. Our derived one-loop nucleation rate fundamentally differs from the widely cited high-temperature result by Linde: The prefactor contains quantum effects and also asymptotes to a differing form at high temperatures, where the quantum effects become negligible. Rather, the result is a generalization of Affleck's rate formula to quantum field theories, asymptoting to the effective field theory approach, and Langer's rate, at high temperatures. The example also reveals that the high-temperature side of the ``quantum-to-classical'' transition of thermal vacuum decay is still inherently quantum mechanical, even though the bounce background possesses the classical, $\mathrm{O}(d)\times S^1$, symmetry.
Comments28 pages
