Symmetry breaking patterns of the 3-3-1 model at finite temperature

Understand

We consider the minimal version of an extension of the standard electroweak model based on the $SU(3)_c \times SU(3)_L \times U(1)_X$ gauge symmetry (the 3-3-1 model).

• We analyze the most general potential constructed from three scalars in the triplet representation of $SU(3)_L$, whose neutral components develop nonzero vacuum expectation values, giving mass for all the model's massive particles.
• {}For different choices of parameters, we obtain the particle spectrum for the two symmetry breaking scales: one where the $SU(3)_L \times U(1)_X$ group is broken down to $SU(2)_L\times U(1)_Y$ and a lower scale similar to the standard model one.
• Within the considerations used, we show that the model encodes two first-order phase transitions, respecting the pattern of symmetry restoration.