Tunneling decay of false vortices

Understand

We consider the decay of vortices trapped in the false vacuum of a theory of scalar electrodynamics in 2+1 dimensions.

• The potential is inspired by models with intermediate symmetry breaking to a metastable vacuum that completely breaks a U(1) symmetry, while in the true vacuum the symmetry is unbroken.
• The false vacuum is unstable through the formation of true vacuum bubbles; however, the rate of decay can be extremely long.
• On the other hand, the false vacuum can contain metastable vortex solutions.