Brout-Englert-Higgs mechanism for accelerating observers

In this work we consider the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the electroweak $SU(2{)}_L\times U(1{)}_Y$ gauge group into $U(1{)}_{em}$ taking place in the Standard Model of particle physics as seen from the point of view of an accelerating observer. According to the Unruh effect, that observer detects the Minkowski vacuum as a thermal bath at a temperature proportional to the proper acceleration $a$. Then we show that (in a certain large $N$ limit) when the acceleration is bigger than the critical value $a_c=4\pi v$ (where $v$ is the Higgs vacuum expectation value), the electroweak $SU(2{)}_L\times U(1{)}_Y$ gauge symmetry is restored and all elementary particles become massless. In addition, even observers with $a<a_c$ can see this symmetry restoration in the region close to the Rindler horizon.

Figure 1

Profile of the Higgs VEV for different points of the space-time as seen by the accelerating observer.