Phase transitions precipitated by solitosynthesis

Abstract

Solitosynthesis of Q-balls in the false vacuum can result in a phase transition of a new kind. Formation and subsequent growth of Q-balls via the charge accretion proceeds until the solitons reach a critical charge, at which point it becomes energetically favorable for the Q-ball interior to expand filling space with the true vacuum phase. Solitosynthesis can destabilize a false vacuum even when the tunneling rate is negligible. In models with low-energy supersymmetry, where the Q-balls associated with baryon and lepton number conservation are generically present, solitosynthesis can precipitate transitions between the vacua with different VEV's of squarks and sleptons.

12 pages, 2 figures, latex, epsf