Perturbative Contributions to the Electroweak Interface Tension

Abstract

The main perturbative contribution to the free energy of an electroweak interface is due to the effective potential and the tree level kinetic term. The derivative corrections are investigated with one-loop perturbation theory. The action is treated in derivative, in heat kernel, and in a multi local expansion. The massive contributions turn out to be well described by the Z-factor. The massless mode, plagued by infrared problems, is numerically less important. Its perturbatively reliable part can by calculated in derivative expansion as well. A self consistent way to include the Z-factor in the formula for the interface tension is presented.