Abstract: Cosmological first-order phase transitions (FOPTs) are a promising source of a stochastic gravitational wave background and meanwhile have far-reaching phenomenological implications. Among these, bubble wall dynamics plays a pivotal role. In this talk, I will first introduce efficient methods for estimating the bubble wall velocity. I will then discuss two novel phenomenological applications of FOPTs: the production of heavy dark matter and the formation of primordial black holes, aiming to balance technical details with a broader perspective on the significance of FOPTs.
Bio: Wen-Yuan Ai, Postdoc at Institute of High Energy Physics,
Austrian Academy of Sciences.
Wen-Yuan Ai's research centers on quantum field theory (QFT) and cosmology, with a particular focus on the non-perturbative aspects of QFT and the application of rigorous QFT methods (e.g. nonequilibrium QFT) to deepen the understanding of the early Universe, such as inflation, reheating, and first-order phase transitions.
Video: https://vshare.sjtu.edu.cn/play/c64b365a-00dd-4efe-99bc-d08c255f0da5