Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling and the "cosmic" Josephson effect

Abstract

We discuss the possible influence of a cosmic magnetic field on the macroscopic quantum tunneling process associated, in a cosmological context, to the decay of the "false vacuum." We find a close analogy with the effects of an external magnetic field applied to a Josephson junction in the context of low-temperature/high-temperature superconducting devices.

4 pages, 1 pdf figure. Added references and an inset in Fig. 1, results unchanged. To appear in Phys. Rev. D (Brief Report)