The [[Standard modelModel]] of particle physics, parameterized by values measured in laboratories, can be used to predict the nature of cosmic phase transitions.<ref name=Manzudar-2019>{{Cite journal |last=Mazumdar |first=Anupam |last2=White |first2=Graham |date=2019-06-25 |title=Review of cosmic phase transitions: their significance and experimental signatures |journal=Reports on Progress in Physics |volume=82 |issue=7 |pages=076901 |doi=10.1088/1361-6633/ab1f55 |issn=0034-4885|arxiv=1811.01948 }}</ref> A system in the ground state at a high temperature changes as the temperature drops due to expansion of the universe. A new ground state may become favorable and a transition between the states is a phase transition.<ref name=Manzudar-2019/>{{rp|9}}
A phase transition can be related to a difference in symmetry between the two states. For example liquid is isotropic but solid water, [[ice]], has directions with different properties. The two states have different energy: ice has less energy than liquid water.
