In quantum field theory, a false vacuum is a metastable sector of space that appears to be a perturbative vacuum, but is unstable due to instanton effects that may tunnel to a lower energy state. This tunneling can be caused by quantum fluctuations or the creation of high-energy particles. Simply put, the false vacuum is a local minimum, but not the lowest energy state, even though it may remain stable for some time. This is analogous to metastability for first-order phase transitions.
Read more about False Vacuum: Vacuum Metastability Event, Bubble Nucleation, Gravitational Effects
Famous quotes containing the words false and/or vacuum:
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Teenagers who are never required to vacuum are living in one.”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)