In the Kibble–Zurek mechanism, causally disconnected domains undergo this process independently, and the resulting defect density scales with some power of the quench rate. A type of this process occurs when the probability distribution of overlap between different equilibrium configurations is no longer a delta function. In the 2D XY model, this process does [emphasize] not occur as pairs of topological defects unbind and free defects proliferate, because the spin-spin correlations vanish algebraically. This process is forbidden in low-dimensional systems by the Mermin–Wagner theorem. Phase transitions from a fluid to a solid are accompanied by this process, since the system is no longer translation-invariant. A form of this process is accompanied by the creation of Nambu–Goldstone bosons. For 10 points, in the Higgs mechanism, particles acquire mass when what process occurs spontaneously? ■END■
ANSWER: symmetry breaking [or equivalents that use a word form of “break,” like a system experiencing broken symmetries; accept explicit, spontaneous, continuous, global, or local symmetry breaking; after “overlap” is read; accept replica symmetry breaking; prompt on phase transitions until “not” is read; until “defect density” is read, prompt on descriptions of the formation of topological defects or creation of topological defects by asking “defects form at the boundaries of domains for which what process has had a different outcome?”] (The second sentence refers to replica symmetry breaking. The third sentence refers to the Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition.)
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= Average correct buzz position