Related papers: Doppelganger defects
We propose a class of field theories featuring solitonic solutions in which topological defects can end when they intersect other defects of equal or higher dimensionality. Such configurations may be termed ``Dirichlet topological…
Perturbative estimates suggest that extended topological defects such as cosmic strings emit few particles, but numerical simulations of the fields from which they are constructed suggest the opposite. In this paper we study the decay of…
In this work we investigate the role of the symmetry of the Lagrangian on the existence of defects in systems of coupled scalar fields. We focus attention mainly on solutions where defects may nest defects. When space is non-compact we find…
If the vacuum manifold of a field theory has the appropriate topological structure, the theory admits topological structures analogous to the D-branes of string theory, in which defects of one dimension terminate on other defects of higher…
Bivariant (equivariant) K-theory is the standard setting for non-commutative topology. We may carry over various techniques from homotopy theory and homological algebra to this setting. Here we do this for some basic notions from…
The gravitational field of monopoles, cosmic strings and domain walls is studied in the quadratic gravitational theory $R+\alpha R^2$ with $\alpha |R|\ll 1$, and is compared with the result in Einstein's theory. The metric aquires…
We show that domain walls, or kinks, can be constructed in simple scalar theories where the scalar has no potential. These theories belong to a class of k-essence where the Lagrangian vanishes identically when one lets the derivatives of…
We consider spacetime-dependent solutions to string theory models with tadpoles for dynamical fields, arising from non-trivial scalar potentials. The solutions have necessarily finite extent in spacetime, and are capped off by boundaries at…
We argue that topological compactons (solitons with compact support) may be quite common objects if $k$-fields, i.e., fields with nonstandard kinetic term, are considered, by showing that even for models with well-behaved potentials the…
In this essay I show that there exists a new way to obtain scalar-tensor field theories by combining a special scalar field on the tangent bundle of a four-dimensional manifold with a scalar field on that manifold. These two scalar fields…
We consider a model with two real scalar fields which admits phantom domain wall solutions. We investigate the structure and evolution of these phantom domain walls in an expanding homogeneous and isotropic universe. In particular, we show…
The general k-essence Lagrangian for the existence of cosmological scaling solutions is derived in the presence of multiple scalar fields coupled to a barotropic perfect fluid. In addition to the scaling fixed point associated with the…
5-dimensional homogeneous and isotropic models with a bulk cosmological constant and a minimally coupled scalar field are considered. We have found that in special cases the scalar field can mimic a frustrated (i.e. disordered) networks of…
Discrete symmetries play an important role in several extensions of the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. For instance, in order to avoid flavor changing neutral currents, a discrete $Z_2$ symmetry is imposed on the Two-Higgs-Doublet…
Domain walls, strings and monopoles are extended objects, or defects, of quantum origin with topologically non--trivial properties and macroscopic behavior. They are described in Quantum Field Theory in terms of inhomogeneous condensates.…
This thesis is devoted to various questions connected with duality. It is composed of two parts. The first part discusses some aspects of timelike T-duality. We explore the possibility of compactification of supergravity theories with…
We study a pair of canonoid (fouled) Hamiltonians of the harmonic oscillator which provide, at the classical level, the same equation of motion as the conventional Hamiltonian. These Hamiltonians, say $K_{1}$ and $K_{2}$, result to be…
We investigated domain wall networks as a possible candidate to explain the present accelerated expansion of the universe. We discuss various requirements that any stable lattice of frustrated walls must obey and propose a class of `ideal'…
We consider gauge vortices in symmetry breaking models with a non-canonical kinetic term. This work extends our previous study on global topological k-defects (hep-th/0608071), including a gauge field. The model consists of a scalar field…
We introduce three families of classical and quantum solutions to the leading order of string effective action on spatially homogeneous $(2+1)$-dimensional space-times with the sources given by the contributions of dilaton, antisymmetric…