YOUNGST@RS - Shaping the Universe: Framework and Footprints of Cosmological Phase Transitions

27 Jan 2026, 09:20 → 30 Jan 2026, 17:40 Europe/Berlin

Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University

Cosmological phase transitions (PTs), intrinsically related to the symmetries governing the universe, continue drawing great interest as rich frameworks able to address open questions in particle physics and cosmology such as baryo-/leptogenesis, dark matter, neutrino mass generation and the strong CP problem, and as promising sources of detectable signals from cosmological gravitational waves and primordial magnetic fields. More precise predictions are becoming possible thanks to computational advancements.

This workshop aims to offer an overview over both conceptual and technical aspects of PTs. We will focus on generic features of PTs, Beyond-Standard-Model applications, advances in precision modelling and potential signatures. The workshop will bridge the gaps between communities working on different aspects of PTs therefore generating cross-field expertise. It will provide a dedicated platform in which experts and novices can interface with each other and build a network of know-how that can organically tackle the challenges that lay ahead, guiding future research directions.

 

Poster_Shaping the Universe.pdf

Tuesday 27 January

09:20 → 09:30 Matthias Neubert: Welcome

09:30 → 10:00 Geraldine Servant: Pushing up the temperature of the electroweak phase transition

tba

Servant-MITP-virtual-2026 - file.pdf

10:00 → 10:30 Javier Rubio: Hubble-induced phase transitions in the Standard Model and beyond

JavierRubio_YOUNGStars2025_online.pdf

10:30 → 10:50 Geraldine Servant + Javier Rubio: Discussion with speakers

10:50 → 11:10 Break

11:10 → 11:30 Maximilian Detering: Shaping the Vacuum: The Criticality Paradigm

Maximilian Detering_Talk_Youngstars.pdf

11:30 → 11:50 Tomás Mendes: Tachyonic gravitational dark matter production

YoungSt@rs presentation_Tomás_Mendes.pdf

12:10 → 14:30 Lunch Break

14:30 → 14:50 Andrii Dashko: Perturbative aspects of the electroweak phase transition with a complex singlet

Andrii_Dashko_YOUNGST@RS-2026.pdf

14:50 → 15:10 Cristina Puchades Ibénez: Dark Sector Karaoke: A 3D EFT for a Pitch-Perfect Phase Transition

15:10 → 15:30 Luis Gil: Hot news on the phase structure of the SMEFT

LuisGil-Hot_news.pdf

15:30 → 15:50 Break

15:50 → 16:20 Edward Hardy: Transient dark energy from a supercooled phase transition

Thermal_DE.pdf

16:20 → 16:50 Yuhsin Tsai: Cosmological constraints on late and super-late phase transitions

Shaping the universe_Tsai.pdf

16:50 → 17:10 Edward Hardy + Yuhsin Tsai: Discussion with speakers

Wednesday 28 January

09:30 → 10:00 Wen Yin: Relativistic Axion with Nonrelativistic Momenta and Baumkuchen Domain Wall

10:00 → 10:30 Marieke Postma: Testing electroweak baryogenesis

Marieke Postma_Talk_Younstars.pdf

10:30 → 10:50 Wen + Marieke Postma: Discussion with speakers

10:50 → 11:10 Break

11:10 → 11:30 Mohamed Y. Sassi: Domain walls in the extended Higgs Sectors: Electric Charge Violation and Electroweak Symmetry Restoration

MOHAMED YOUNES SASSI_Talk_Youngstars.pdf

11:30 → 11:50 Tom Gent: Baryogenesis in the 2HDM+a

11:50 → 12:10 Alessia Musumeci: Nanohertz gravitational waves from the baryon- dark matter coincidence

12:10 → 14:30 Lunch Break

14:30 → 14:50 Giacomo Ferrante: No room for monopole dark matter

14:50 → 15:10 Cameron Moffett-Smith: Gravitational Waves in an A4 Neutrino Mass Model

15:10 → 15:30 Lorenzo Formaggio: Calculation of the Cosmic Trajectories over the QCD phase transition

15:30 → 15:50 Break

15:50 → 16:20 Bibhushan Shakya: BSM physics from bubble collisions

Shakya_MITPYoungstars_2026_condensed.pdf

16:20 → 16:50 Jessica Turner: Topological Defects as Windows into the early Universe“

16:50 → 17:10 Bibhushan Shakya + Jessica Turner: Discussion with speakers

Thursday 29 January

09:30 → 10:00 Jorinde van de Vis: Modelling out-of-equilibrium dynamics in expanding bubbles

10:00 → 10:30 Kari Rummukainen: Dynamics of first order phase transitions on the lattice

Dynamics_of_firswt_order_phase_KR_Shaping the Universe.pdf

10:30 → 10:50 Jorinde van de Vis + Kari Rummukainen: Discussion with speakers

10:50 → 11:10 Break

11:10 → 11:30 Maciej Kierkla: NLO nucleation rate and its implications in supercooled phase transitions

11:30 → 11:50 Juan Camilo Garnica-Aguirre: Bubble nucleation rate with out-of-equilibrium effects

JuanCGarnicaA_Talk_Youngstars.pdf

11:50 → 12:10 Carlo Branchina: Electroweak phase transition and bubble wall dynamics

12:10 → 14:30 Lunch Break

14:30 → 14:50 Yiming Yang: Heterogeneous cosmological phase transitions: seeded by domain walls and junctions“

YimingYang_Jan29_DW_PT.pdf

14:50 → 15:10 Riccardo Natale: Axion cosmology with parametric resonance

15:10 → 15:30 Gaurang Ramakant Kane: Supercooling in Confining Theories

Maximal_Supercooling_presentation_Yougst@rs.pdf

15:30 → 15:50 Break

15:50 → 16:20 Keisuke Harigaya: Phase transition during inflation

Keisuke_Harigaya_STU_Youngstars.pdf

16:20 → 16:50 Michael Ramsey-Musolf: Was there an Electroweak Phase Transition?

16:50 → 17:10 Keisuke Harigaya + Michael Ramsey-Musolf: Discussion with speakers

Friday 30 January

09:30 → 10:00 Mauro Pieroni: Testing high energy physics with GWs: GWBs

10:00 → 10:30 Oriol Pujolas: Domain wall signals

10:30 → 10:50 Mauro Pieroni + Oriol Pujolas: Discussion with speakers

10:50 → 11:10 Break

11:10 → 11:30 Giulio Barni: Gravitational waves from the sound shell model: direct and inverse phase transitions in the early Universe

11:30 → 11:50 Nabeen Bhusal: Temperature and kinematic effects on an expanding bubble in the early universe

11:50 → 12:10 Jinhui Guo: Supermassive Primordial Black Holes from a Catalyzed Dark Phase Transition for Little Red Dots

12:10 → 14:30 Lunch Break

14:50 → 15:10 Vahza Loladze: Strongly Coupled Theories, Confinement, and Gravitational Waves

15:10 → 15:30 Indrajit Saha: Gravitational Wave signatures of dark sector portal leptogenesis

Youngstar_Indrajit.pdf

15:30 → 15:50 Break

16:20 → 16:50 Gabriele Ferrari: False Vacuum Decay via bubble nucleation in ferromagnetic superfluids

16:50 → 17:20 Tanmay Vachaspati: Cosmological Magnetic Fields from Electroweak Symmetry Breaking

17:20 → 17:40 Gabriele Ferrari + Tanmay Vachaspati: Discussion with speakers