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The velocity-dependent `one-scale' model of Martins and Shellard is used to study the evolution of a cosmic string network (and the corresponding loop population) in open universes. It is shown that in this case there is no linear scaling…
We investigate the space-time picture of string evolution and hadron production in a fully string-based model for high energy collisions involving heavy ions. We find that although the density strings is quite large at the time of…
The unique, conical spacetime created by cosmic strings brings about distinctive gravitational lensing phenomena. The variety of these distinctive phenomena is increased when the strings have non-trivial mutual interactions. In particular,…
We discuss the cosmological evolution of cosmic strings with time-dependent tension. We show that, in the case that the tension changes as a power of time, the cosmic string network obeys the scaling solution: the characteristic scale of…
We set up and analyse a model for the non-equilibrium evolution of a network of cosmic strings initially containing only loops and no infinite strings. Due to this particular initial condition, our analytical approach differs significantly…
We present an extension of the velocity-dependent one-scale model for cosmic string evolution, which is suitable for describing the evolution of local and global monopole networks. We discuss the key dynamical features that need to be…
Cosmic strings are topological defects arising in a variety of cosmological scenarios, as the Universe undergoes symmetry-breaking phase transitions, whose discovery would offer valuable insight into the high-energy physics that shaped the…
We investigate cosmological evolution and implications of cosmic strings with time-dependent tension. We derive basic equations of time development of the correlation length and the velocity of such strings, based on the one scale model.…
We present results from a detailed numerical study of the small-scale and loop production properties of cosmic string networks, based on the largest and highest resolution string simulations to date. We investigate the non-trivial fractal…
Whilst standard field theoretic Cosmic Strings cannot end, Cosmic Superstrings can form three string junctions, at which each string ends. This opens up a new class of possible boundary conditions for such strings and we show that, at least…
At early stages the dynamics of cosmic string networks is expected to be influenced by an excessive production of small loops at the scales of initial conditions l_{min}. To understand the late time behavior we propose a very simple…
We discuss some hitherto puzzling features of the small-scale structure of cosmic strings. We argue that kinks play a key role, and that an important quantity to study is their sharpness distribution. In particular we suggest that for very…
The cosmic string scenario in an open universe is developed -- including the equations of motion, a model of network evolution, the large angular scale CMB temperature anisotropy, and the power spectrum of density fluctuations produced by…
We study the cosmic microwave background temperature and polarisation spectra sourced by multi-tension cosmic superstring networks. First we obtain solutions for the characteristic length scales and velocities associated with the evolution…
We study the behaviour and consequences of cosmic string networks in contracting universes. They approximately behave during the collapse phase as a radiation fluids. Scaling solutions describing this are derived and tested against…
We use the velocity-dependent one-scale model by Martins & Shellard to investigate the evolution of a GUT long cosmic string network in arbitrary Friedmann-Lemaitre models. Four representative models are used to show that in general there…
We study the collisions of elastic superconducting strings, also referred to as current-carrying strings, formed in a $U_{\rm local}(1) \times U_{\rm global}(1)$ field-theory model, using three-dimensional numerical field-theoretic…
We study the formation of cosmic strings by confining a stochastic magnetic field into flux tubes in a numerical simulation. We use overdamped evolution in a potential that is minimized when the flux through each face in the simulation…
We develop methods by which cosmic superstring interactions can be studied in detail. These include the reconnection probability and emission of radiation such as gravitons or small string loops. Loop corrections to these are discussed, as…
The topic of cosmic strings provides a bridge between the physics of the very small and the very large. They are predicted by some unified theories of particle interactions. If they exist, they may help to explain some of the largest-scale…