Renormalized stress tensor in one-bubble spacetimes

Abstract

We compute the two-point function and the renormalized expectation value of the stress tensor of a quantum field interacting with a nucleating bubble. Two simple models are considered. One is the massless field in the Vilenkin-Ipser-Sikivie spacetime describing the gravitational field of a reflection symmetric domain wall. The other is vacuum decay in flat spacetime where the quantum field only interacts with the tunneling field on the bubble wall. In both cases the stress tensor is of the perfect fluid form. The assymptotic form of the equation of state are given for each model. In the VIS case, we find that $p=-(1/3)\rho$, where the energy density $\rho$ is dominated by the gradients of supercurvature modes.