A Lattice Test of Alternative Interpretations of "Triviality" in (λΦ⁴)₄ Theory

Abstract

There are two physically different interpretations of "triviality" in (λΦ 4 ) 4 theories. The conventional description predicts a second-order phase transition and that the Higgs mass m h must vanish in the continuum limit if v, the physical vev is held fixed. An alternative interpretation, based on the effective potential obtained in "triviality-compatible" approximations (in which the shifted "Higgs" field h(x)≡Φ(x)-<Φ> is governed by an effective quadratic Hamiltonian) predicts a phase transition that is very weakly first-order and that m h and v are both finite, cutoff-independent quantities. To test these two alternatives, we have numerically computed the effective potential on the lattice. Three different methods were used to determine the critical bare mass for the chosen bare coupling value. All give excellent agreement with the literature value. Two different methods for obtaining the effective potential were used, as a control on the results. Our lattice data are fitted very well by the predictions of the unconventional picture, but poorly by the conventional picture.