Related papers: Two species of semi-local cosmic strings in Abelia…
We present results from the first simulations of networks of Type I Abelian Higgs cosmic strings to include both matter and radiation eras and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) constraints. In Type I strings, the string tension is a slowly…
We study the connection between $N=2$ supersymmetry and a topological bound in a two-Higgs-doublet system with an $SU(2)\times U(1)_Y\times U(1)_{Y^{\prime}}$ gauge group. We derive the Bogomol'nyi equations from supersymmetry…
We investigate cosmic string networks in the Abelian Higgs model using data from a campaign of large-scale numerical simulations on lattices of up to $4096^3$ grid points. We observe scaling or self-similarity of the networks over a wide…
By making use of the path integral duality transformation, we derive the string representation for the partition function of an extended Dual Abelian Higgs Model containing gauge fields of external currents of electrically charged…
I report on recent numerical simulations of the simplest field theory with cosmic string solutions, the Abelian Higgs model. We find that random networks of string quickly converge to a scaling solution in which the network scale length…
We give the global mathematical formulation of a class of generalized four-dimensional theories of gravity coupled to scalar matter and to Abelian gauge fields. In such theories, the scalar fields are described by a section of a surjective…
It is shown that the super Higgs mechanism that occurs in a wide class of models with vanishing cosmological constant (at the classical level) is obtained by the gauging of a flat group which must be an electric subgroup of the duality…
We consider an extension of the Standard Model, where the difference between the baryon number $B$ and the lepton number $L$ is gauged with an Abelian gauge field, in order to explain the exact conservation of $B-L$. To avoid a gauge…
A field-theoretical model for non-singular global cosmic strings is presented. The model is a non-linear sigma model with a potential term for a self-gravitating complex scalar field. Non-singular stationary solutions with angular momentum…
We explore the formation and the evolution of the string network in the Abelian Higgs model with two complex scalar fields. A special feature of the model is that it possesses a global $U(1)$ symmetry in addition to the $U(1)$ gauge…
Non-linear sigma models with scalar fields taking values on $\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^n$ complex manifolds are addressed. In the simplest $n=1$ case, where the target manifold is the $\mathbb{S}^2$ sphere, we describe the scalar fields by means…
We develop a formalism for the quantization of topologically stable excitations in the 4-dimensional abelian lattice gauge theory. The excitations are global and local (Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen) strings and monopoles. The operators of…
We consider a two-Higgs doublet model extended with a broken Abelian gauge symmetry under which all Standard Model (SM) quarks, fourth generation fermions and a new SM-singlet scalar boson are charged. Such a setup is shown to be able to…
Cosmic strings can arise in hidden sector models with a spontaneously broken Abelian symmetry group. We have studied the couplings of the Standard Model fields to these so-called dark strings in the companion paper. Here we survey the…
We present a brief discussion of recent work on duality symmetries in non-trivial string backgrounds. Duality is obtained from a gauged non-linear sigma-model with vanishing gauge field strength. Standard results are reproduced for abelian…
We first consider local cosmic strings in dilaton-axion gravity and show that they are singular solutions. Then we take a supermassive Higgs limit and present expressions for the fields at far distances from the core by applying a…
The investigation of the inhomogeneities in modern inflationary Universe scenarios is related, in particular, with the study of the role played by scalar fields in cosmological evolution. We present the model described by one of the…
A variation on the abelian Higgs model, with global SU(2) x local U(1) symmetry broken to global U(1) was recently shown by Vachaspati and Achucarro to admit stable, finite energy cosmic string solutions even though the manifold of minima…
We review the construction of time-dependent backgrounds with space-like singularities. We mainly consider exact CFT backgrounds. The algebraic and geometric aspects of these backgrounds are discussed. Physical issues, results and…
We present cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectra from recent numerical simulations of cosmic strings in the Abelian Higgs model and compare them to CMB power spectra measured by Planck. We obtain revised constraints on the cosmic…