A criterion for bubble formation in de Sitter universe

Abstract

The influence of the shape of scalar field potential on the outcome of vacuum decay in de Sitter universe is studied. Sufficient condition for vacuum decay via bubble formation, described by Coleman - de Luccia instanton, is revisited and necessary condition is found. Both conditions require that the curvature of the potential is greater than 4 $\times$ (Hubble constant)$^2$, but while the sufficient condition states that this inequality is to be valid at the top of the barrier, the necessary condition requires that it holds at least somewhere throughout the barrier. The conditions leave a 'grey zone' in parameter space, which however seems to be forbidden for quartic potential as well as for quadratic potential with a narrow peak proposed by Linde in the context of open inflation.