Oscillating scalar potential and its implications for cosmic neutrino background searches

Abstract We propose a novel mechanism in which the mass-squared term of a scalar potential periodically switches sign due to an external oscillatory wave. As a result of this “potential oscillation,” the vacuum transitions between symmetry-broken and symmetry-restored phases. This repeated toggling...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yechan Kim, Hye-Sung Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of High Energy Physics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2025)269
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Summary:Abstract We propose a novel mechanism in which the mass-squared term of a scalar potential periodically switches sign due to an external oscillatory wave. As a result of this “potential oscillation,” the vacuum transitions between symmetry-broken and symmetry-restored phases. This repeated toggling leads to a time-varying vacuum state that, through the scalar field’s couplings to other sectors, gives rise to interesting phenomenological consequences. As a concrete illustration, we demonstrate how these oscillations can open a new avenue for probing the cosmic neutrino background.
ISSN:1029-8479