Front propagation in non-homogeneous $\phi^4$ model

Abstract

We investigate the propagation of fronts in an inhomogeneous medium within the framework of the $\phi^4$ model. The inhomogeneity is modeled either as an interface separating regions with different dissipation or as a finite layer with modified dissipation. The propagating front is described in two ways: as a kink solution in an effectively unbounded domain, and as a half-kink in a finite system. The half-kink represents the decay of the unstable state $\phi=0$ toward the true vacuum. We show that while the effective description based on the kink provides accurate results, applying a similar approach to the half-kink leads to significant deviations from the predictions of the field model. We then demonstrate that a consistent description does exist and propose a modified effective model which reproduces the field-theory results over a relatively broad range of parameters.