Related papers: Cosmic string Y-junctions: a comparison between fi…

We start with an effective field theory containing classical vortex solutions and show that the fluctuations of these vortices are described by an effective string theory. Viewed as a model for long distance QCD, this theory provides a…

Local cosmic strings solutions are introduced in a model with a pseudo-anomalous U(1) gauge symmetry. Such a symmetry is present in many superstring compactification models. The coupling of those strings with the axion necessary in order to…

The number of cosmic strings in the observable universe is relevant in determining the probability of detecting such cosmic defects through their gravitational signatures. In particular, we refer to the observation of gravitational lensing…

We consider the evolution of a network of strings in an expanding universe, allowing for the formation of junctions between strings of different tensions. By explicitly including, in the velocity-dependent evolution equations for the…

We consider formation of composite strings and domain walls as a result of fusion of two elementary objects (elementary strings in the first case and elementary walls in the second) located at a distance from each other. The tension of the…

Many symmetry breaking patterns in grand unified theories (GUTs) give rise to cosmic strings that eventually decay when pairs of GUT monopoles spontaneously nucleate along the string cores. These strings are known as metastable cosmic…

A natural consequence of string theory is a non-commutative structure of space-time on microscopic scales. The existence of a minimal length, and a modification of the effective field theory are two consequences of this space-time…

This is a short review of string cosmology. We wish to connect string-scale physics as closely as possible to observables accessible to current or near-future experiments. Our possible best hope to do so is a description of inflation in…

Proton decay is a smoking gun signature of Grand Unified Theories (GUTs). Searches by Super-Kamiokande have resulted in stringent limits on the GUT symmetry breaking scale. The large-scale multipurpose neutrino experiments DUNE,…

It is shown that it is possible for bound fermions on a cosmic string to form a superconducting state. Due to the attractive force between them, particles moving in opposite directions along the string form bound pairs. This involves a…

We study the classical cosmic string solution in a theory with dynamical $U(1)$ symmetry breaking. We calculate the energy per unit length of the string and compare it to that obtained in a model with a fundamental Higgs. We find that the…

Cosmic strings are a type of cosmic defect formed by a symmetry-breaking phase transition in the early universe. Individual strings would have gathered to build a network, and their dynamical motion would induce scalar--, vector-- and…

I investigate the Nambu-Goto and Polyakov strings, accounting for higher-derivative terms in the emergent action for the metric tensor which are classically negligible for smooth metrics but revive quantumly. Using the conformal field…

Cosmic strings are predicted by many Standard Model extensions involving the cosmological breaking of a symmetry with nontrivial first homotopy group and represent a potential source of primordial gravitational waves (GWs). Present efforts…

In hidden sector models with an extra U(1) gauge group, new fields can interact with the Standard Model only through gauge kinetic mixing and the Higgs portal. After the U(1) is spontaneously broken, these interactions couple the resultant…

In this note we construct self-dual cosmic strings from a gauge field theory with a generalized linear formation of potential energy density. By integrating the Einstein equation, we obtain a nonlinear elliptic equation which is equal with…

We study the continuum limit of the string-like behaviour of flux tubes formed between static quarks and anti-quarks in three dimensional SU(2) lattice gauge theory. We compare our simulation data with the predictions of both effective…

We assume that a self-gravitating string is locally described by a thin tube of matter represented by a ``smoothed conical metric''. If we impose a specific constraint on the model of string then its central line obeys the Nambu-Goto…

We re-visit the production of cosmic rays by cusps on cosmic strings. If a scalar field (``Higgs'') has a linear interaction with the string world-sheet, such as would occur if there is a bosonic condensate on the string, cusps on string…

We study the stability of superconducting strings in a U(1)_{local} x U(1)_{global} model coupled via a gauge field interaction term to U(1) Abelian-Higgs strings. The effect of the interaction on current stability is numerically…