TY - JOUR
T1 - Field-theoretical description of quantum fluctuations in the multidimensional tunneling approach
AU - Tanaka, Takahiro
AU - Sasaki, Misao
AU - Yamamoto, Kazuhiro
PY - 1994
Y1 - 1994
N2 - We reformulate the WKB wave function for a multidimensional tunneling system, which represents the quasi-ground-state of the metastable vacuum, in a covariant manner. Then we extend the formalism to the case of field theory and develop a systematic method to construct the mode functions which determine the quantum state after tunneling. A clear interpretation of the resulting quantum state is given in the language of the conventional second quantization picture. As a simple example, we apply our method to a scalar field on the background of spatially homogeneous false vacuum decay. The resulting quantum state is found to be highly nontrivial, having some similarity with a thermal state. Some implications of the results are discussed.
AB - We reformulate the WKB wave function for a multidimensional tunneling system, which represents the quasi-ground-state of the metastable vacuum, in a covariant manner. Then we extend the formalism to the case of field theory and develop a systematic method to construct the mode functions which determine the quantum state after tunneling. A clear interpretation of the resulting quantum state is given in the language of the conventional second quantization picture. As a simple example, we apply our method to a scalar field on the background of spatially homogeneous false vacuum decay. The resulting quantum state is found to be highly nontrivial, having some similarity with a thermal state. Some implications of the results are discussed.
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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevD.49.1039
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.49.1039
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0000651072
VL - 49
SP - 1039
EP - 1046
JO - Physical review D: Particles and fields
JF - Physical review D: Particles and fields
SN - 1550-7998
IS - 2
ER -