title: Gravity and the Stability of the Higgs Vacuum.
abstract: We discuss the effect of gravitational interactions on the lifetime of the Higgs vacuum where generic quantum gravity corrections are taken into account. Using a "thin-wall" approximation, we provide a proof of principle that small black holes can act as seeds for vacuum decay, spontaneously nucleating a new Higgs phase centered on the black hole with a lifetime measured in millions of Planck times rather than billions of years. The corresponding parameter space constraints are, however, extremely stringent; therefore, we also present numerical evidence suggesting that with thick walls, the parameter space may open up. Implications for collider black holes are discussed.
authors: Centre for Particle Theory, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom.
authors: Philipp
authors: P
authors: Burda
authors: Centre for Particle Theory, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom.|Perimeter Institute, 31 Caroline Street, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5, Canada.
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: Gregory
authors: School of Mathematics and Statistics, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom.
authors: Ian G
authors: IG
authors: Moss