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Seeded bubble nucleation on the lattice

Simone Blasi1,*, Andreas Ekstedt2, Jaakko Hällfors3,†, and Kari Rummukainen3,‡

  • *Contact author: simone.blasi@desy.de
  • †Contact author: jaakko.hallfors@helsinki.fi
  • ‡Contact author: kari.rummukainen@helsinki.fi
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Phys. Rev. D 114, 074505 – Published 6 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/nyt6-jh16

Abstract

We provide the first nonperturbative lattice determination of the bubble nucleation rate as seeded by topological defects during a first-order phase transition. Our case of study is the cubic anisotropy model, which can mimic the Higgs-plus-singlet setup for the electroweak theory, in d=2+1 spacetime dimensions, where bubbles are seeded by (linelike) domain walls. We compare the nucleation rate from the lattice with the semiclassical prediction based on the effective field theory living on the domain walls, including for the first time the fluctuation determinant away from spherical symmetry. Our results show very good agreement across all the considered parameter space.

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Phys. Rev. D 114, 074505– Published 6 October, 2026
  • Received 25 June 2026
  • Accepted 11 September 2026
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