Four-dimensional Simulation of the Hot Electroweak Phase Transition with the SU(2) Gauge-Higgs Model

Abstract

We study the finite-temperature electroweak phase transition of the minimal standard model within the four-dimensional SU(2) gauge-Higgs model. Monte Carlo simulations are performed for intermediate values of the Higgs boson mass in the range $50\lesssim M_H\lesssim 100$GeV on a lattice with the temporal size $N_t=2$. The order of the transition is systematically examined using finite-size scaling methods. Behavior of the interface tension and the latent heat for an increasing Higgs boson mass is also investigated. Our results suggest that the first-order transition terminates around $M_H\sim 80$GeV.

Comments: 17 pages of revtex, 12 PostScript figures included, using epsf.sty; Estimates of Higgs boson mass are slightly modified taking a better method of interpolation which is explained in a newly added Appendix; to be published in Phys. Rev. D