Quantum Corrections to Nucleation Rates

Abstract

In this paper we show how to compute in a consistent way nucleation rates in field theory at finite temperatures, with metastable vacuum. Using the semiclassical approach in field theory at finite temperature we show that the prefactor term can be calculated explicitly (in the thin-wall approximation) and that the same provides exponential finite temperature quamtum corrections to nucleation rates, when fluctuations around the bubble field configuration are considered.