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We investigate dynamics of magnetic thin-shells in three dimensional anti de Sitter background. Because of the magnetic field, an oscillatory solution is possible. This oscillating shell can tunnel to a collapsing shell or a bouncing shell, where both of tunnelings induce an event horizon and a singularity. In the entire path integral, via the oscillating solution, there is a non-zero probability to maintain a trivial causal structure without a singularity. Therefore, due to the path integral, the entire wave function can conserve information. Since an oscillating shell can tunnel after a number of oscillations, in the end, it will allow an infinite number of different branchings to classical histories. This system can be a good model of the effective loss of information, where information is conserved by a solution that is originated from gauge fields., Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures

We investigate the fragmentation instability of hairy black holes in the theory with a Gauss$-$Bonnet(GB) term in asymptotically flat spacetime. Our approach is through the non-perturbative fragmentation instability. By this approach, we investigate whether the initial black hole can be broken into two black holes by comparing the entropy of the initial black hole with the sum of those of two fragmented black holes. The relation between the black hole instability and the GB coupling with dilaton hair are presented. We describe the phase diagrams with respect to the mass of the black hole solutions and coupling constants. We find that a perturbatively stable black hole can be unstable under fragmentation., Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, published version in EPJC

A Fubini instanton is a bounce solution which describes the decay of a vacuum state located at the top of the tachyonic potential {\it via} the tunneling without a barrier. We investigate various types of Fubini instantons of a self-gravitating scalar field under a tachyonic quartic potential. With gravity taken into account, we show there exist various types of unexpected solutions including oscillating bounce solutions. We present numerically oscillating Fubini bounce solutions in anti-de Sitter and de Sitter spaces. We construct the parametric phase diagrams of the solutions, which is the extension of our previous work. Of particular significance is that there always exist solutions in all parameter spaces in anti-de Sitter space. The regions are divided depending on the number of oscillations. On the other hand, de Sitter space allows solutions with codimension-one in parameter spaces. We numerically evaluate semiclassical exponents which give the finite tunneling probabilities., Comment: 25pages, 12 figures

We investigate instantons near a tachyonic top in an anti de Sitter (AdS) background. If the mass scale around the hill-top is above the Breitenlohner-Freedman (BF) bound, then the top is classically stable. When the BF bound is satisfied, it is already known that there can exist instantons with a non-zero probability, though fine-tunings of the potential are required. On the other hand, we may consider a possibility to obtain instantons with a non-zero probability for more natural shape of potentials. We found that the no-boundary regulator is useful to assign a non-zero probability for general instantons near the tachyonic top with a consistent framework. To use the no-boundary regulator, we need to introduce the complexification of fields. One interesting feature is that, for these AdS instantons, the classicality may not be satisfied after the Wick rotation and hence after the nucleation. This magnifies a novel difference between dS and AdS; a semi-classical boundary observer in AdS may notice the dispersion of quantum fields as a kind of uncertainty, while every semi-classical observers in dS are classicalized individually and hence there is no semi-classical observer who can see the quantum dispersion of the scalar field., Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures

We study slow-roll inflation with a Gauss-Bonnet term that is coupled to an inflaton field nonminimally. We investigate the inflationary solutions for a specific type of the nonminimal coupling to the Gauss-Bonnet term and inflaton potential both analytically and numerically. We also calculate the observable quantities such as the power spectra of the scalar and tensor modes, the spectral indices, the tensor-to-scalar ratio and the running spectral indices. Finally, we constrain our result with the observational data by Planck and BICEP2 experiment., Comment: 23 pages, 9 figures, typos corrected, references added, and some clarifications added including figures

Cosmic bubbles are nucleated through the quantum tunneling process. After nucleation they would expand and undergo collisions with each other. In this paper, we focus in particular on collisions of two equal-sized bubbles and compute gravitational waves emitted from the collisions. First, we study the mechanism of the collisions by means of a real scalar field and its quartic potential. Then, using this model, we compute gravitational waves from the collisions in a straightforward manner. In the quadrupole approximation, time-domain gravitational waveforms are directly obtained by integrating the energy-momentum tensors over the volume of the wave sources, where the energy-momentum tensors are expressed in terms of the scalar field, the local geometry and the potential. We present gravitational waveforms emitted during (i) the initial-to-intermediate stage of strong collisions and (ii) the final stage of weak collisions: the former is obtained numerically, in \textit{full General Relativity} and the latter analytically, in the flat spacetime approximation. We gain qualitative insights into the time-domain gravitational waveforms from bubble collisions: during (i), the waveforms show the non-linearity of the collisions, characterized by a modulating frequency and cusp-like bumps, whereas during (ii), the waveforms exhibit the linearity of the collisions, featured by smooth monochromatic oscillations., Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures

We investigate and classify the possible types of false vacuum bubbles in Einstein gravity. The false vacuum bubbles can occur only if gravity is taken into account. We show that there exist solutions only with compact geometries. The analytic computations for the radius and nucleation rate of a vacuum bubble are evaluated using the thin-wall approximation. We discuss possible cosmological implications of our new solutions., Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures

We consider the decay of cosmic strings that are trapped in the false vacuum in a theory of scalar electrodynamics in 3+1 dimensions. We restrict our analysis to the case of thin-walled cosmic strings which occur when large magnetic flux trapped inside the string. Thus the string looks like a tube of fixed radius, at which it is classically stable. The core of the string contains magnetic flux in the true vacuum, while outside the string, separated by a thin wall, is the false vacuum. The string decays by tunnelling to a configuration which is represented by a bulge, where the region of true vacuum within, is ostensibly enlarged. The bulge can be described as the meeting, of a kink soliton anti-soliton pair, along the length of the string. It can be described as a bulge appearing in the initial string, starting from the string of small, classically stable radius, expanding to a fat string of large, classically unstable (to expansion) radius and then returning back to the string of small radius along its length. This configuration is the bounce point of a corresponding O(2) symmetric instanton, which we can determine numerically. Once the bulge appears it explodes in real time. The kink soliton anti-soliton pair recede from each other along the length of the string with a velocity that quickly approaches the speed of light, leaving behind a fat tube. At the same time the radius of the fat tube that is being formed, expands (transversely) as it is no longer classically stable, converting false vacuum to the true vacuum with ever diluting magnetic field within. The rate of this expansion is determined by the energy difference between the true vacuum and the false vacuum. Our analysis could be applied to a network, of cosmic strings formed in the very early universe or vortex lines in a superheated superconductor., Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures

We consider the decay of vortices trapped in the false vacuum of a theory of scalar electrodynamics in 2+1 dimensions. The potential is inspired by models with intermediate symmetry breaking to a metastable vacuum that completely breaks a U(1) symmetry, while in the true vacuum the symmetry is unbroken. The false vacuum is unstable through the formation of true vacuum bubbles; however, the rate of decay can be extremely long. On the other hand, the false vacuum can contain metastable vortex solutions. These vortices contain the true vacuum inside in addition to a unit of magnetic flux and the appropriate topologically nontrivial false vacuum outside. We numerically establish the existence of vortex solutions which are classically stable; however, they can decay via tunneling. In general terms, they tunnel to a configuration which is a large, thin-walled vortex configuration that is now classically unstable to the expansion of its radius. We compute an estimate for the tunneling amplitude in the semi-classical approximation. We believe our analysis would be relevant to superconducting thin films or superfluids., Comment: 27 pages, 9 figures

In this paper, we study Einstein gravity with a minimally coupled scalar field accompanied with a potential, assuming an O(4) symmetric metric ansatz. We call an Euclidean instanton is to be an oscillating instanton, if there exists a point where the derivative of the scale factor and the scalar field vanish at the same time. Then we can prove that the oscillating instanton can be analytically continued, both as inhomogeneous and homogeneous tunneling channels. Here, we especially focus on the possibility of a homogeneous tunneling channel. For the existence of such an instanton, we have to assume three things: (1) there should be a local maximum and the curvature of the maximum should be sufficiently large, (2) there should be a local minimum and (3) the other side of the potential should have a sufficiently deeper vacuum. Then, we can show that there exists a number of oscillating instanton solutions and their probabilities are higher compared to the Hawking-Moss instantons. We also check the possibility when the oscillating instantons are comparable with the Coleman-DeLuccia channels. Thus, for a general vacuum decay problem, we should not ignore the oscillating instanton channels., Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures

We study Fubini instantons of a self-gravitating scalar field. The Fubini instanton describes the decay of a vacuum state under tunneling instead of rolling in the presence of a tachyonic potential. The tunneling occurs from the maximum of the potential, which is a vacuum state, to any arbitrary state, belonging to the tunneling without any barrier. We consider two different types of the tachyonic potential. One has only a quartic term. The other has both the quartic and quadratic terms. We show that, there exist several kinds of new O(4)-symmetric Fubini instanton solution, which are possible only if gravity is taken into account. One type of them has the structure with $Z_2$ symmetry. This type of the solution is possible only in the de Sitter background. We discuss on the interpretation of the solutions with $Z_2$ symmetry., Comment: 28 pages, 9 figures. The section 3 was modified, references are added, and we discussed on the negative mode problem in the last section

In this paper, we study vacuum bubble collisions with various potentials including gravitation, assuming spherical, planar, and hyperbolic symmetry. We use numerical calculations from double-null formalism. Spherical symmetry can mimic the formation of a black hole via multiple bubble collisions. Planar and especially hyperbolic symmetry describes two bubble collisions. We study both cases, when two true vacuum regions have the same field value or different field values, by varying tensions. For the latter case, we also test symmetric and asymmetric bubble collisions, and see details of causal structures. If the colliding energy is sufficient, then the vacuum can be destabilized, and it is also demonstrated. This double-null formalism can be a complementary approach in the context of bubble collisions., Comment: 31 pages, 19 figures

We investigate oscillating instanton solutions of a self-gravitating scalar field between degenerate vacua. We show that there exist O(4)-symmetric oscillating solutions in a de Sitter background. The geometry of this solution is finite and preserves the $Z_{2}$ symmetry. The nontrivial solution corresponding to tunneling is possible only if the effect of gravity is taken into account. We present numerical solutions of this instanton, including the phase diagram of solutions in terms of the parameters of the present work and the variation of energy densities. Our solutions can be interpreted as solutions describing an instanton-induced domain wall or braneworld-like object rather than a kink-induced domain wall or braneworld. The oscillating instanton solutions have a thick wall and the solutions can be interpreted as a mechanism providing nucleation of the thick wall for topological inflation. We remark that $Z_{2}$ invariant solutions also exist in a flat and anti-de Sitter background, though the physical significance is not clear., Comment: 25 pages, 11 figues. Some typos corrected, references added, and Ch3. modified according to referee's comments

We study the creation of a black hole (BH) pair separated by a domain wall, in the presence of a cosmological constant. We construct the solution representing a BH pair with a domain wall and compute the Euclidean action to evaluate the probability of the pair creation in the background with a preexisting domain wall. The BHs can be either neutral or magnetically charged ones. We compare the results of the charged case with those of the neutral case with the same cosmological constant. We find that the production rate of a charged BH pair is always suppressed in comparison with that of the neutral one in both four and five dimensions, irrespective of the sign of the cosmological constant. The Euclidean action is equal to the minus of the entropy. Since the horizon area of a BH is decreased as the magnitude of its charge is increased in general, the decreasing creation rate can be understood in terms of the increasing charge. We obtain the explicit confirmation on the relation between the pair creation rate of the charged BHs and the area of horizons in both the four- and five-dimensional cases in the presence of a cosmological constant. The singularity of the domain wall universe with charged BHs, as distinct from that with neutral BHs, can be avoided., Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures, Some typos corrected and references added with respect to the published version

In this paper, we explore the nucleation of vacuum bubbles in the Brans-Dicke type theory of gravity. In the Euclidean signature, we evaluate the fields at the vacuum bubbles as solutions of the Euler-Lagrange equations of motion as well as the bubble nucleation probabilities by integrating the Euclidean action. We illustrate three possible ways to obtain vacuum bubbles: true vacuum bubbles for \omega>-3/2, false vacuum bubbles for \omega<-3/2, and false vacuum bubbles for \omega>-3/2 when the vacuum energy of the false vacuum in the potential of the Einstein frame is less than that of the true vacuum. After the bubble is nucleated at the t=0 surface, we can smoothly interpolate the field combinations to some solutions in the Lorentzian signature and consistently continue their subsequent evolutions. Therefore, we conclude that, in general scalar-tensor theories like this Brans-Dicke type theories, which may include and represent certain features of string theory, vacuum bubbles come in false vacuum bubbles as well as in true vacuum bubbles, as long as a special condition is assumed on the potential., Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures

We study the dynamics of false vacuum bubbles in the Brans-Dicke theory of gravity by using the thin shell or thin wall approximation. We consider a false vacuum bubble that has a different value for the Brans-Dicke field between the inside false vacuum region and the outside true vacuum region. Within a certain limit of field values, the difference of field values makes the effective tension of the shell negative. This allows new expanding false vacuum bubbles to be seen by the outside observer, which are disallowed in Einstein gravity., Comment: 29 pages, 20 figures