https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-020-00288-5
Review
Thermal Field Theory in real-time formalism: concepts and applications for particle decays
Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University, 221 00, Lund, Sweden
Received:
1
July
2020
Accepted:
16
October
2020
Published online:
23
February
2021
This review represents a detailed and comprehensive discussion of the Thermal Field Theory (TFT) concepts and key results in Yukawa-type theories. We start with a general pedagogical introduction into the TFT in the imaginary- and real-time formulation. As phenomenologically relevant implications, we present a compendium of thermal decay rates for several typical reactions calculated within the framework of the real-time formalism and compared to the imaginary-time results found in the literature. Processes considered here are those of a neutral (pseudo)scalar decaying into two distinct (pseudo)scalars or into a fermion-antifermion pair. These processes are extended from earlier works to include chemical potentials and distinct species in the final state. In addition, a (pseudo)scalar emission off a fermion line is also discussed. These results demonstrate the importance of thermal effects in particle decay observables relevant in many phenomenological applications in systems at high temperatures and densities.
© The Author(s) 2021
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