A universe born in a metastable false vacuum state needs not die

Understand

We try to find conditions, the fulfillment of which allows a universe born in a metastable false vacuum state to survive and not to collapse.

• The conditions found are in the form of inequalities linking the depending on time $t$ instantaneous decay rate ${\it\Gamma}(t)$ of the false vacuum state and the Hubble parameter $H(t)$.
• Properties of the decay rate of a quantum metastable states are discussed and then the possible solutions of the conditions found are analyzed and discussed.
• Within the model considered it is shown that a universe born in the metastable vacuum state has a very high chance of surviving until very late times if the lifetime, $\tau_{0}^{F}$, of the metastable false vacuum state is much shorter, than the duration of the inflation process.