https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-016-4168-8
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Symmetry breaking patterns of the 3-3-1 model at finite temperature
1
Departamento de Física de Altas Energias, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
2
Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
* e-mail: rudnei@uerj.br
Received:
28
February
2016
Accepted:
30
May
2016
Published online:
21
June
2016
We consider the minimal version of an extension of the standard electroweak model based on the 
gauge symmetry (the 3-3-1 model). We analyze the most general potential constructed from three scalars in the triplet representation of 
, whose neutral components develop nonzero vacuum expectation values, giving mass for all the model’s massive particles. For different choices of parameters, we obtain the particle spectrum for the two symmetry breaking scales: one where the 
group is broken down to 
and a lower scale similar to the standard model one. Within the considerations used, we show that the model encodes two first-order phase transitions, respecting the pattern of symmetry restoration. The last transition, corresponding to the standard electroweak one, is found to be very weak first-order, most likely turning second-order or a crossover in practice. However, the first transition in this model can be strongly first-order, which might happen at a temperature not too high above the second one. We determine the respective critical temperatures for symmetry restoration for the model.
© The Author(s), 2016
