Spontaneous symmetry breaking is a transversal concept in modern physics, being pivotal for our understanding of mass generation in particle physics, topological defects formation in cosmology, and the appearance of condensed phases of matter. I will discuss some recent results about the way symmetry breaking occurs for systems embedded in a curved background, when curvature acts as an effective mass that, depending on the sign, enhances or suppresses the mechanism responsible for phase transitions. I will then move to a general discussion about the ground state of nonlinear field theories, commenting on the substantial changes in the structure of the quantum vacuum occurring even for the simplest choice of boundary conditions. Not only this leads to nontrivial modulation of the Casimir force as a function of external conditions, but it also regulates the behaviour at small vs large scales.

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Topic: Theory and Pheno seminars
https://infn-it.zoom.us/j/8573185271
Meeting ID: 857 318 5271