Finite Temperature Phase Transition in $\phi^6$ potential

Abstract

The temperature dependance of the action in the thin-wall and thick-wall limits is obtained analytically for the $\phi^6$ scalar potential. The nature of the phase transition is investigated from the quantum tunnelling regime at low temperatures to the thermal hopping regime at high temperatures. It is first-order for the case of a thin wall while for the thick wall it is second- order.