Journal of High Energy Physics (Apr 2022)

Kink-antikink scattering in a quantum vacuum

  • Mainak Mukhopadhyay,
  • Evangelos I. Sfakianakis,
  • Tanmay Vachaspati,
  • George Zahariade

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP04(2022)118
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2022, no. 4
pp. 1 – 30

Abstract

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Abstract We study kink-antikink scattering in the sine-Gordon model in the presence of interactions with an additional scalar field, ψ, that is in its quantum vacuum. In contrast to the classical scattering, now there is quantum radiation of ψ quanta and the kink-antikink may form bound states that resemble breathers of the sine-Gordon model. We quantify the rate of radiation and map the parameters for which bound states are formed. Even these bound states radiate and decay, and eventually there is a transition into long-lived oscillons.

Keywords