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arXiv · 0809.5286

Breaking of a metastable string at finite temperature

A. Monin·M. B. Voloshin
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Abstract

We consider the phase transition of a string with tension $\eps_1$ to a string with a smaller tension $\eps_2$ at finite temperature. For sufficiently small temperatures the transition proceeds through thermally catalyzed quantum tunneling, and we calculate in arbitrary number of dimensions the thermal catalysis factor. At $\eps_2=0$ the found formula for the decay rate also describes a break up of a metastable string into two pieces.

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A. Monin, M. B. Voloshin. 2008-09-30. Breaking of a metastable string at finite temperature. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.78.125029

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