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M. Eriksson

Publications and source records attributed to M. Eriksson.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Entropy production at electroweak bubble walls from scalar field fluctuations

The real-time dynamics of an electroweak phase transition involves large time and distance scales, the domain of hydrodynamics. However, the matching conditions of ideal hydrodynamics across a bubble wall do not fix the fluid profile completely, with the remaining degree of freedom parametrizable through entropy production. Within a framework of Langevin dynamics, viewed as an effective description valid between the hydrodynamic ($k \sim g^4_{ } T/\pi^3_{ }$) and soft momentum scales ($k \sim gT$), we determine the entropy production originating from scalar field fluctuations. The entropy discontinuity is shown to remain non-vanishing when the friction coefficient is sent to zero, in apparent violation of the ``local thermal equilibrium'' (LTE) framework. To confirm the finding, we identify its origin within Boltzmann equations, as being part of the $1\to 1$ force associated with the ``ballistic'' regime. The result implies that LTE-based upper bounds on the wall velocity cannot be saturated.

hep-ph

Computing singlet scalar freeze-out with plasmon and plasmino states

The final-state particles from cosmological dark matter co-annihilation are expected to equilibrate. As dictated by Hard Thermal Loop resummation, the spectrum of equilibrated quasiparticles is richer than in vacuum, with a massless gauge field possessing three independent polarization states (``plasmons''), and a massless fermion developing a novel branch (``plasmino''). Furthermore, once the Higgs phenomenon sets in, vacuum and thermal mass corrections interfere. We collect together the corresponding poles and residues for the Standard Model around its crossover temperature. Choosing its singlet scalar extension for illustration, we subsequently demonstrate, both numerically and via power counting, and in accordance with general theoretical expectations, how in the freeze-out of TeV-scale dark matter, these effects remain well hidden in the inclusive annihilation cross section. In particular, the dominant (longitudinal) gauge channel is shown to be practically temperature-independent. Cosmological constraints on TeV-scale singlet scalars are reconfirmed.

hep-ph

Soft contributions to the thermal Higgs width across an electroweak phase transition

We estimate the equilibration rate of a nearly homogeneous Higgs field, displaced from its ground state during the onset of an electroweak phase transition. The computation is carried out with Hard Thermal Loop resummed perturbation theory, and a significant part of the result originates from Bose-enhanced $t$-channel $2\leftrightarrow 2$ scatterings. The expression is shown to be IR finite and gauge independent. Possible applications to Langevin simulations of bubble nucleation are mentioned, and we also contrast with the friction affecting bubble growth.

hep-ph

Sensing rotations with multiplane light conversion

We report an experiment estimating the three parameters of a general rotation. The scheme uses quantum states attaining the ultimate precision dictated by the quantum Cram\'er-Rao bound. We realize the states experimentally using the orbital angular momentum of light and implement the rotations with a multiplane light conversion setup, which allows one to perform arbitrary unitary transformations on a finite set of spatial modes. The observed performance suggests a range of potential applications in the next generation of rotation sensors.

quant-ph

Robust quantum metrology with random Majorana constellations

Even the most classical states are still governed by quantum theory. A number of physical systems can be described by their Majorana constellations of points on the surface of a sphere, where concentrated constellations and highly symmetric distributions correspond to the least and most quantum states, respectively. If these points are chosen randomly, how quantum will the resultant state be, on average? We explore this simple conceptual question in detail, investigating the quantum properties of the resulting random states. We find these states to be far from the norm, even in the large-number-of-particles limit, where classical intuition often replaces quantum properties, making random Majorana constellations peculiar and intriguing. Moreover, we study their usefulness in the context of rotation sensing and find numerical evidence of their robustness against dephasing and particle loss. We realize these states experimentally using light's orbital angular momentum degree of freedom and implement arbitrary unitaries with a multiplane light conversion setup to demonstrate the rotation sensing. Our findings open up new possibilities for quantum-enhanced metrology.

quant-ph

UV Emission line shifts of symbiotic binaries

Relative and absolute emission line shifts have been previously found for symbiotic binaries, but their cause was not clear. This work aims to better understand the emission line shifts. Positions of strong emission lines were measured on archival UV spectra of Z And, AG Dra, RW Hya, SY Mus and AX Per and relative shifts between the lines of different ions compared. Profiles of lines of RW Hya and Z And were also examined. The reality of the relative shift between resonance and intercombination lines of several times ionised atoms was clearly shown except for AG Dra. This redshift shows a well defined variation with orbital phase for Z And and RW Hya. In addition the intercombination lines from more ionised atoms and especially OIV are redshifted with respect to those from less ionised atoms. Other effects are seen in the profiles. The resonance-intercombination line shift variation can be explained in quiescence by P Cygni shorter wavelength component absorption, due to the wind of the cool component, which is specially strong in inferior conjunction of this cool giant. The velocity stratification permits absorption of line emission. The relative intercombination line shifts may be connected with varying occultation of line emission near an accretion disk, which is optically thick in the continuum.

astro-ph.SR