EPL, 78 (2007) 21001
DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/78/21001

Gravitational effects on critical Q-balls

D. Metaxas

Department of Physics, National Technical University of Athens - Zografou Campus, 15780 Greece

metaxas@central.ntua.gr

received 3 October 2006; accepted in final form 7 March 2007; published April 2007
published online 29 March 2007

Abstract
In a cosmological phase transition in theories that admit Q-balls there is a value of the soliton charge above which the soliton becomes unstable and expands, converting space to the true vacuum, much like a critical bubble in the case of ordinary tunneling. Here I consider the effects of gravity on these solitons and I calculate the lowest gravitational corrections to the critical radius and charge.

PACS
11.27.+d - Extended classical solutions; cosmic strings, domain walls, texture.

© Europhysics Letters Association 2007