Corrections to the Electroweak Effective Action at Finite Temperature

Abstract

We calculate contributions to the finite temperature effective action for the electroweak phase transition (EWPT) at $\O(g^4)$, {\it i.e.} at second order in $(g^2 T/\M)$ and all orders in $(g^2 T^2/\M^2)$. This requires plasma-mass corrections in the calculation of the effective potential, inclusion of the ``lollipop'' diagram, and an estimate of derivative corrections. We find the EWPT remains too weakly first-order to drive baryogenesis. We calculate some one loop kinetic energy corrections using both functional and diagrammatic methods; these may be important for saddlepoint configurations such as the bounce or sphaleron.