Fubini instantons in Dilatonic Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory of gravitation

Abstract

We investigate various types of Fubini instantons in Dilatonic Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory of gravitation, which describe the decay of the vacuum state at a hilltop potential through the tunneling without a barrier. It is shown that the vacuum states are modified by the non-minimally coupled higher-curvature term. Accordingly, we present the new type of solutions describing the tunneling from new vacuum states in anti-de Sitter and de Sitter backgrounds. The decay probabilities of vacuum states are also influenced. Consequently, we show that the semiclassical exponents can be decreased for specific parameter ranges, which make the tunneling probabilities enhanced.