What would be the geological events during a "big slurp"?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the hypothetical scenario of a "big slurp," a quantum phase transition related to the Higgs field, and its potential geological and physical effects on Earth. Participants explore various implications of such an event, including changes to matter, energy, and the structure of the universe.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that a big slurp could fundamentally alter the universe, potentially changing physical constants and destroying structures instantaneously.
  • Others argue that if a false vacuum decayed to a true vacuum, the energy released could lead to a new Big Bang or new physics, but the specifics remain uncertain.
  • A later reply questions the predictability of such an event, emphasizing that the boundary of the phase transition would propagate at the speed of light, leading to instantaneous changes.
  • Some participants suggest that if electrons became less tightly bound to nuclei, it could result in catastrophic consequences, such as the formation of plasma.
  • One participant reflects on a conversation with a string theorist, noting that the mechanics of a false vacuum decay could lead to the destruction of matter as it crosses the boundary into a new vacuum state.
  • Another participant expresses a misconception about the event, initially thinking it might lead to a gravitational collapse or "big crunch" scenario.
  • There is a vivid description of the potential effects of a big slurp, including the instantaneous cessation of life and the destruction of molecules at relativistic speeds.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the catastrophic nature of a big slurp but express differing views on the specifics of its effects and the underlying physics. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the exact outcomes and mechanisms involved.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the speculative nature of the proposed scenarios and the dependence on various theoretical frameworks, such as effective field theory and string theory, which may not provide definitive answers.

SEYED2001
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I am simply wondering how would earth change (mountains, magma activity, etc.) in the case a big slurp occurs.
One possibility for the ultimate fate of our universe is so called the "big slurp", which to my limited knowledge is some sort of quantum phase transition related to Higg's field (see: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_fate_of_the_universe OR https://www.google.com/amp/s/phys.org/news/2013-12-collapse-universe-closer.amp). If a big slurp reaches to us right now, how would the Earth as we know it change? For example, would the higher gravity soften the mountains to the ground (and erupt them)? Also, any idea how quick would such events be?

Thank you very much in advance!
Seyed
 
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Per the article you referenced:

"This has the potential to fundamentally alter our universe; in more audacious scenarios even the various physical constants could have different values, severely affecting the foundations of matter, energy, and spacetime. It is also possible that all structures will be destroyed instantaneously, without any forewarning."

This is as I understand it too. The effect expands at near the speed of light, so there is little or no fore-warning, and it's over in an instant.

The general outcome is that important things - for example: atoms - just sort of fall apart.
 
If we are actually in a false vacuum and it decayed to a true vacuum (or a yet-lower-energy false vacuum, I suppose), all the energy of the vacuum is released. That could mean anything up to and including a new Big Bang and potentially new physics that may or may not support the existence of the fundamental particles that make up the physical world as we know it.

As Dave says, the boundary of such a phase transition would likely propagate at the speed of light, so you'd never know about it.
 
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Dear all, many thanks for your replies! I am aware that there could be no forewarning, so it is totally unpredictable. But my main concern is about what happens WHEN (and not BEFORE) this boundary reaches earth.
 
SEYED2001 said:
Dear all, many thanks for your replies! I am aware that there could be no forewarning, so it is totally unpredictable. But my main concern is about what happens WHEN (and not BEFORE) this boundary reaches earth.
I think the larger point is that - since it expands at the speed of light - it is effectively instantaneous.

There won't be any slow transition of physical effects. One moment there will be normal life, and the next there will be particles and energy expanding in all directions at relativistic velocities.
 
It passes through the Earth at the speed of light, so the change happens more or less instantaneously across the planet. Then, it depends how big a change the new vacuum state is from the current one. As I said, it's possible that the new physics doesn't include the kind of matter everything around us is made of. Certainly there's energy released from the vacuum, possibly enough to be another Big Bang.
 
Ibix said:
Then, it depends how big a change the new vacuum state is from the current one.
If electrons stopped being tightly bound to nuclei - even a little bit - things would get very uncomfortable* very rapidly.

* and by "uncomfortable" I mean becoming an expanding ball of plasma
 
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SEYED2001 said:
Summary:: I am simply wondering how would Earth change (mountains, magma activity, etc.) in the case a big slurp occurs.

One possibility for the ultimate fate of our universe is so called the "big slurp", which to my limited knowledge is some sort of quantum phase transition related to Higg's field (see: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_fate_of_the_universe OR https://www.google.com/amp/s/phys.org/news/2013-12-collapse-universe-closer.amp). If a big slurp reaches to us right now, how would the Earth as we know it change? For example, would the higher gravity soften the mountains to the ground (and erupt them)? Also, any idea how quick would such events be?

Thank you very much in advance!
Seyed
I had a conversation with a string theorist about this some time ago. Apparently what happens is that when there is a false vacuum decay to a lower energy, that creates a volume of different vacuum which starts to rapidly expand. The boundary of this volume accelerates to near the speed of light within a second or so. As matter crosses the boundary, it's likely to be utterly destroyed, as matter which exists in our space-time probably cannot exist in the new vacuum state. Instead the energy from the destroyed matter, as well as the lowered vacuum energy, will get distributed among whatever new fields are around, likely in an extremely chaotic fashion.

I doubt that a new "big bang" is a possible result of such an event, just due to the very low vacuum energy available at present. Though the mechanics of such an event would be very, very similar, even though the energy would be too low to produce an interesting universe.

The ideas that lead to these conclusions are, from what I understand, based on two foundations:
1) Effective field theory provides the foundation for the behavior of the boundary, including how rapidly it expands. Because of the generic nature of effective field theory, I think we can trust these conclusions at least a little bit.
2) String theory suggests that different vacuum energy states will have very different low-energy quantum fields around. This isn't an idea that is solely the domain of string theory, however. It isn't clear at all how much this conclusion should be trusted.
 
Thank you very much for your answers! I can see that my intuition was wrong. I was hoping that inside the boundaries of big slurp there would be a "big crunch", so that as new stars and planets get in the boundaries they undergo a gravitational "fall" into a singularity, where the slurp began.
 
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Ibix said:
If we are actually in a false vacuum and it decayed to a true vacuum

It would be bad.

"Imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light" is not the worst description.
 
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  • #11
Vanadium 50 said:
"Imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light" is not the worst description.
Exactly the quote I've been thinking of (but trying to avoid using). :oldbiggrin:
 
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There needs to be a PF "total protonic reversal" badge.
 
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