The nonequilibrium dynamics of an homogeneous scalar field is studied using Langevin equations. Microscopic derivations based on quantum field theory methods can lead to complicated nonlocal equations of motion. Here we study, numerically, the results obtained by appropriately approximating these equations in a local form (the Markovian approximation) and compare with results obtained with suitable prescriptions for accounting for the nonlocal terms, i.e. the non-Markovian form. We use a prescription for the nonlocal equations motivated by the results obtained from previous derivations using nonequilibrium quantum field theory methods.

We revisited the calculation of the effective potential for self-interacting scalar field with U (1) charge at one loop approximation. We show that high charge densities can induce important changes in the phase structure of the theory. A class of very interesting phenomena appear when we introduce finite density effects, e.g. symmetry nonrestoration, inverse symmetry breaking and anticipation of the high temperature symmetry restoration. The extension of these calculations in the context of multi-scalar field theory is outlined, with the objectives of studying the effects of a finite charge on the symmetry breaking phase transition, and to learn how these effects change the number of phases allowed by the system symmetries.