Vakuumstabilität

Vakuumstabilität refers to the concept in quantum field theory and cosmology that the vacuum state of the universe might not be the lowest possible energy state. If the universe is currently in a "false vacuum," it means that a lower energy state, the "true vacuum," exists. The transition from a false vacuum to a true vacuum would be a catastrophic event, potentially leading to the complete alteration of physical laws and the destruction of all existing structures.

This idea has significant implications for cosmology and particle physics. The stability of the electroweak vacuum, in particular, is a subject of ongoing research. Based on the measured masses of the Higgs boson and the top quark, current theories suggest that the universe may reside in a metastable state. This metastability implies that a vacuum decay event, while perhaps not imminent on cosmological timescales, is not theoretically impossible.

The process of vacuum decay would likely begin with the spontaneous formation of a bubble of true vacuum within the false vacuum. This bubble would then expand at nearly the speed of light, converting the false vacuum into the true vacuum as it propagates. Inside the bubble, the fundamental constants of nature, particle masses, and even the forces themselves could be dramatically different, rendering the universe as we know it unable to exist. The exact nature of the true vacuum and the consequences of such a transition remain speculative, as they depend on physics beyond the Standard Model.