Thermal nucleation of kink-antikink pairs

  • Mark Alford
  • , Hume Feldman
  • , Marcelo Gleiser

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

40 Scopus citations

Abstract

We numerically study the thermal nucleaton of kink-antikink pairs in (1+1)-dimensional classical field theory coupled to a heat bath. We study the dependence of the kink lifetime and number density on temperature and on the coupling to the heat bath (viscosity). We qualitatively confirm Kramerss prediction of the viscosity dependence, and find a slight reduction in the effective kink mass compared with its zero-temperature value. We find no suppression of kink production beyond the Boltzmann factor, and we confirm a recent prediction of the renormalization of the barrier at high viscosity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1645-1648
Number of pages4
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume68
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - 1992

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Thermal nucleation of kink-antikink pairs'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this