Real-time Lattice Research Articles

Improving cosmic string network simulations

In real-time lattice simulations of cosmic strings in the Abelian Higgs model, the broken translational invariance introduces lattice artifacts; relativistic strings therefore decelerate and radiate. We introduce two different methods to construct a moving string on the lattice, and study in detail the lattice effects on moving strings. We find that there are two types of lattice artifact: there is an effective maximum speed with which a moving string can be placed on the lattice, and a moving string also slows down, with the deceleration approximately proportional to the exponential of the velocity. To mitigate this, we introduce and study an improved discretization, based on the tree-level L\uscher-Weisz action, which is found to reduce the deceleration by an order of magnitude, and to increase the string speed limit by an amount equivalent to halving the lattice spacing. The improved algorithm is expected to be very useful for 3D simulations of cosmic strings in the early Universe, where one wishes to simulate as large a volume as possible.

Fermion production from real-time lattice gauge theory in the classical-statistical regime

We investigate the real-time dynamics of U(1) and SU(N) gauge theories coupled to fermions on a lattice. While real-time lattice gauge theory is not amenable to standard importance sampling techniques, for a large class of time-dependent problems the quantum dynamics can be accurately mapped onto a classical-statistical ensemble. We illustrate the genuine quantum contributions included in this description by giving a diagrammatic representation in a series expansion. The nonperturbative simulation method is then applied to electron-positron production in quantum electrodynamics in three spatial dimensions. We compare to analytic results for constant background field and demonstrate the importance of backreaction of the produced fermion pairs on the gauge fields.

Universal attractor in a highly occupied non-Abelian plasma

We study the thermalization process in highly occupied non-Abelian plasmas at weak coupling. The non-equilibrium dynamics of such systems is classical in nature and can be simulated with real-time lattice gauge theory techniques. We provide a detailed discussion of this framework and elaborate on the results reported in~\cite{Berges:2013eia} along with novel findings. We demonstrate the emergence of universal attractor solutions, which govern the non-equilibrium evolution on large time scales both for non-expanding and expanding non-Abelian plasmas. The turbulent attractor for a non-expanding plasma drives the system close to thermal equilibrium on a time scale $t\sim Q^{-1} \alpha_s^{-7/4}$. The attractor solution for an expanding non-Abelian plasma leads to a strongly interacting albeit highly anisotropic system at the transition to the low-occupancy or quantum regime. This evolution in the classical regime is, within the uncertainties of our simulations, consistent with the ``bottom up'' thermalization scenario~\cite{Baier:2000sb}. While the focus of this paper is to understand the non-equilibrium dynamics in weak coupling asymptotics, we also discuss the relevance of our results for larger couplings in the early time dynamics of heavy ion collision experiments.

Rendering of Feature-rich Dynamically Changing Volumetric Datasets on GPU

Interactive photo-realistic representation of dynamic liquid volumes is a challenging task for today's GPUs and state-of-the-art visualization algorithms. Methods of the last two decades consider either static volumetric datasets applying several optimizations for volume casting, or dynamic volumetric datasets with rough approximations to realistic rendering. Nevertheless, accurate real-time visualization of dynamic datasets is crucial in areas of scientific visualization as well as areas demanding for accurate rendering of feature-rich datasets.An accurate and thus realistic visualization of such datasets leads to new challenges: due to restrictions given by computational performance, the datasets may be relatively small compared to the screen resolution, and thus each voxel has to be rendered highly oversampled. With our volumetric datasets based on a real-time lattice Boltzmann fluid simulation creating dynamic cavities and small droplets, existing real-time implementations are not applicable for a realistic surface extraction.This work presents a volume tracing algorithm capable of producing multiple refractions which is also robust to small droplets and cavities. Furthermore we show advantages of our volume tracing algorithm compared to other implementations.

Pressure Isotropization in High Energy Heavy Ion Collisions

The early stages of high energy heavy ion collisions are studied in the color glass condensate framework, with a real-time classical lattice simulation. When increasing the coupling constant, we observe a rapid increase of the ratio of longitudinal to transverse pressure. The transient regime that precedes this behavior is of the order of 1 fm/c.

Cold electroweak baryogenesis in the two Higgs-doublet model

We perform the first investigation of cold electroweak baryogenesis in the two Higgs-doublet model (2HDM). The electroweak symmetry breaking transition is assumed to occur through a spinodal instability from a super-cooled initial state. We consider the creation of net Chern-Simons number, which through the axial anomaly is equivalent to baryon number. CP-violation is explicit in the scalar potential, but only in combination with P-violation is it possible for an asymmetry to be generated. This is introduced through the leading C- and P-breaking, but CP-invariant, term expected to arise upon integrating out the fermions in the theory. We perform real-time lattice simulations of the transition, and find the coefficient of this term required for successful bayogenesis.

Dynamical simulations of electroweak baryogenesis with fermions

We perform real-time numerical lattice simulations of a one-family version of the Standard Model. We model the quantum fermions using the ensemble method and treat the bosonic scalar and non-abelian gauge fields classically. Our main interest is electroweak baryogenesis, and we test the approach by considering Standard Model baryon number violation through the chiral anomaly, a truly quantum phenomenon. We find that the method correctly reproduces the anomaly, and perform the first dynamical simulations of electroweak baryon number violation including fermions.

Standard modelCPviolation and cold electroweak baryogenesis

Using large scale real-time lattice simulations, we calculate the baryon asymmetry generated at a fast, cold electroweak symmetry breaking transition. CP-violation is provided by the leading effective bosonic term resulting from integrating out the fermions in the Minimal Standard Model at zero temperature, and performing a covariant gradient expansion [1]. This is an extension of the work presented in [2]. The numerical implementation is described in detail, and we address issues specifically related to using this CP-violating term in the context of Cold Electroweak Baryogenesis. The results support the conclusion of [2], that Standard Model CP-violation may be able to reproduce the observed baryon asymmetry in the Universe in the context of Cold Electroweak Baryogenesis.

Dynamic critical phenomena from spectral functions on the lattice

We investigate spectral functions in the vicinity of the critical temperature of a second-order phase transition. Since critical phenomena in quantum field theories are governed by classical dynamics, universal properties can be computed using real-time lattice simulations. For the example of a relativistic single-component scalar field theory in 2 + 1 dimensions, we compute the spectral function described by universal scaling functions and extract the dynamic critical exponent z. Together with exactly known static properties of this theory, we obtain a verification from first principles that the relativistic theory is well described by the dynamic universality class of relaxational models with conserved density (Model C).

Hard loop effective theory of the (anisotropic) quark gluon plasma

The generalization of the hard thermal loop effective theory to anisotropic plasmas is described with a detailed discussion of anisotropic dispersion laws and plasma instabilities. The numerical results obtained in real-time lattice simulations of the hard loop effective theory are reviewed, both for the stationary anisotropic case and for a quark-gluon plasma undergoing boost-invariant expansion.

Instabilities of an anisotropically expanding non-Abelian plasma:1D+3Vdiscretized hard-loop simulations

Non-Abelian plasma instabilities play a crucial role in the nonequilibrium dynamics of a weakly coupled quark-gluon plasma, and they importantly modify the standard perturbative bottom-up thermalization scenario in heavy-ion collisions. Using the auxiliary-field formulation of the hard-loop effective theory, we study numerically the real-time evolution of instabilities in an anisotropic collisionless Yang-Mills plasma undergoing longitudinal free-streaming expansion. In this first real-time lattice simulation we consider the most unstable modes, long-wavelength coherent color fields that are constant in transverse directions and which therefore are effectively 1+1 dimensional in space-time, except for the auxiliary fields which also depend on discretized momentum rapidity and transverse velocity components. We reproduce the semianalytical results obtained previously for the Abelian regime, and we determine the nonlinear effects which occur when the instabilities have grown such that non-Abelian interactions become important.

Simulations of Cold Electroweak Baryogenesis

We present real-time lattice simulations of Cold Electroweak Baryogenesis, in which the baryon asymmetry of the Universe is generated during tachyonic electroweak symmetry breaking at the end of inflation. In the minimal realisation of the model, only three parameters remain undetermined: the strength of CP-violation, the Higgs mass and the speed of the symmetry breaking quench. The dependence of the asymmetry on these parameters is studied.

Simulations of cold electroweak baryogenesis: dependence on Higgs mass and strength of CP-violation

Cold electroweak baryogenesis was proposed as a scenario to bypass generic problems of electroweak baryogenesis within the Standard Model. In this scenario, baryogenesis takes place during an electroweak symmetry breaking transition, which is also responsible for preheating after inflation. In the simplest modelling of the scenario, only two parameters remain undetermined: The Higgs mass and the strength of CP violation. Using full real-time lattice simulations, we compute the dependence of the asymmetry on these parameters.

The role of noise and dissipation in the hadronization of the quark-gluon plasma

We discuss the role of noise and dissipation in the explosive spinodal decomposition scenario of hadron production during the chiral transition after a high-energy heavy ion collision. We use a Langevin description inspired by nonequilibrium field theory to perform real-time lattice simulations of the behavior of the chiral fields. Preliminary results for the interplay between additive and multiplicative noise terms, as well as for non-Markovian corrections, are also presented.

Can dissipation prevent explosive decomposition in high-energy heavy ion collisions?

We discuss the role of dissipation in the explosive spinodal decomposition scenario of hadron production during the chiral transition after a high-energy heavy ion collision. We use a Langevin description inspired by microscopic nonequilibrium field theory results to perform real-time lattice simulations of the behavior of the chiral fields. We show that the effect of dissipation can be dramatic. Analytic results for the short-time dynamics are also presented.

Particle distributions in electroweak tachyonic preheating

We consider the out-of-equilibrium (quasi-) particle number distributions of the Higgs and W-fields during electroweak tachyonic preheating. We model this process by a fast quench, and perform classical real-time lattice simulations in the SU(2)-Higgs model in three dimensions. We discuss how to define particle numbers and effective energies using two-point functions in Coulomb and unitary gauge, and consider some of the associated problems. After an initial exponential growth in effective particle numbers, the system stabilises, allowing us to extract effective masses, temperatures and chemical potentials for the particles.

Classical simulations and particle production in heavy-ion collisions

The classical approximation may be applied to a number of problems in non-equilibrium field theory. The principles and limits of classical real-time lattice simulations are presented, with particular emphasis on the definition of particle numbers and energies and on applications to the earliest stages of heavy-ion collisions.

W and Higgs particle distributions during electroweak tachyonic preheating

We study out-of-equilibrium quasi-particle distributions of the Higgs and W fields during the zero-temperature tachyonic electroweak transition that has been assumed in recent scenarios of baryogenesis. Approximating the process by a fast quench, we perform classical real-time lattice simulations in the SU(2)-Higgs model. The emerging quasi-particle numbers and energies are then used to determine the effective temperatures, chemical potentials and masses of the particles shortly after the transition.

Symmetry breaking and false vacuum decay after hybrid inflation

We discuss the onset of symmetry breaking from the false vacuum in generic scenarios in which the mass squared of the symmetry breaking (Higgs) field depends linearly with time, as it occurs, via the evolution of the inflaton, in models of hybrid inflation. We show that the Higgs fluctuations evolve from quantum to classical during the initial stages. This justifies the subsequent use of real-time lattice simulations to describe the fully nonperturbative and nonlinear process of symmetry breaking. The early distribution of the Higgs field is that of a smooth classical Gaussian random field, and consists of lumps whose shape and distribution is well understood analytically. The lumps grow with time and develop into ``bubbles'' which eventually collide among themselves, thus populating the high momentum modes, in their way towards thermalization at the true vacuum. With the help of some approximations we are able to provide a quasianalytic understanding of this process.

Explosive Decomposition in Ultrarelativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions

Recent results from Au+Au collisions at BNL-RHIC energy hint at explosive hadron production at the QCD transition rather than soft hydrodynamic evolution. We speculate that this is due to a rapid variation of the effective potential for QCD close to Tc. Performing real-time lattice simulations of an effective theory we show that the fast evolution of the potential leads to ``explosive'' spinodal decomposition rather than bubble nucleation or critical slowing down.