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+--- Thread: Research The universe seems to be stuck in place by a strange quantum phenomenon (/thread-21627.html)
The universe seems to be stuck in place by a strange quantum phenomenon - C C - Oct 20, 2026
RELATED (wikipedia): False vacuum
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The universe seems to be stuck in place by a strange quantum phenomenon
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-universe-seems-to-be-stuck-in-place-by-a-strange-quantum-phenomenon
EXCERPTS: There's a profound worry underlying the fundamental physics of existence: The Universe may not be quite as stable as we'd ideally like it to be. Quantum field theory describes invisible quantum fields all around us, producing subatomic vibrations that show up as particles and matter.
These fields tend to seek out the lowest possible energy state, like a marble settling at the bottom of a bowl – and certain fields may have lower to go than they are currently.
In a new study in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, researchers led by a team from the University of Portsmouth in the UK detail some reassuring discoveries that suggest quantum fields could become effectively locked in place, which could help explain why the Universe has remained stable.
The findings address concerns that via an effect known as quantum tunneling, fields could shift states without warning. The Higgs field, which gives mass to particles including electrons, is one field scientists think may be resting in a 'false vacuum'.
"In principle, a transition to that deeper minimum would take the Universe into a radically different state, in which the structure of matter and the forces that govern it would be altered," says physicist Robson Christie from the University of Portsmouth.
[...] In a similar way to how a surrounding environment can cause decoherence and a loss of quantum effects in computers, surrounding fields can also limit the possibility of quantum effects (the catastrophic tunneling behavior) in quantum fields, the researchers determined from their model. The study team calls it "cosmic lockdown", and it means the valley jumping that physicists were worried about could be strongly suppressed – though not impossible.
[...] We can perhaps rest a little easier when it comes to the fate of the Universe, then, though the researchers acknowledge that more complex models are needed to investigate this idea further, and to analyze actual quantum fields like the Higgs field... (MORE - missing details)