Cosmic Strings and Other Topological Defects


Book Description

Comprehensive introduction to the role of cosmic strings and other topological defects in the universe.




Cosmic Strings and Other Topological Defects


Book Description

Now in paperback, this book is the first comprehensive and coherent introduction to the role of cosmic strings and other topological defects in the universe. This study has been one of the major driving forces in cosmology over the last decade, and lies at the fruitful intersection of particle physics and cosmology. After an introduction to standard cosmological theory and the theory of phase transitions in the early universe, the book then describes, in turn, the properties, formation, and cosmological implications of cosmic strings, monopoles, domain walls and textures. The book concludes with a chapter considering the role of topological defects in inflationary universe models. Ample introductory material is included to make the book accessible to the wide audience of particle physicists, astrophysicists and cosmologists for whom this topic is of immediate interest.




Topological Defects In Cosmology


Book Description

This book is devoted to one of the most relevant problems of modern cosmology: the formation of structures in the framework of big bang cosmology. The standard theory of gravitational instability has met with great success but has also encountered significant difficulties. In this book the alternative possibility offered by topological defects is explored in detail. A pedagogical introduction to the problem is given and several theoretical aspects of the problem are reviewed. Special emphasis is placed on the observable consequences of the presence of topological defects, and in particular their interaction with cosmic background radiation; other observable effects are also discussed. In addition, laboratory experiments on topological defects are dealt with. This book will, for a long time, serve as one of the best references, on the topic for students and researchers in cosmology.




Formation and Interactions of Topological Defects


Book Description

Topological defects have recently become of great interest in condensed matter physics, particle physics and cosmology. They are the unavoidable remnants of many symmetry breaking phase transitions. Topological defects can play an important role in describing the properties of many condensed matter systems (e.g. superfluids and superconduc tors); they can catalyze many unusual effects in particle physics models and they may be responsible for seeding the density perturbations in the early Universe which de velop into galaxies and the large-scale structure of the Universe. Topological defects are also of great interest in mathematics as nontrivial solutions of nonlinear differential equations stabilized by topological effects. The purpose of the Advanced Study Institute "Formation and Interactions of Topo logical Defects" was to bring together students and practitioners in condensed matter physics, particle physics and cosmology, to give a detailed exposition of the role of topo logical defects in these fields; to explore similarities and differences in the approaches; and to provide a common basis for discussion and future collaborative research on common problems.




21 Cm Cosmology of Topological Defects


Book Description

"Cosmic strings are linear concentrations of trapped energy produced throughsymmetry breaking processes of eld theory models. Though they can onlycontribute a maxiumum of 10 percent to structure formation they have beenshown to arise as a generic consequence of many inationary setups of supergravitymodels. In addition they provide another avenue to probe physicsbeyond the "Standard Model". Cosmic strings can intersect producing stringloops. These topological defects are formed at early times creating largeamounts of accretion and thus lead to large amounts of baryon overdensities.These baryonic overdensities of hydrogen lead to a unique 21cm signature.We focus on cosmic string loops in addition to global monopoles and computethe 21cm signature produced by these structures. It is found that both defectsproduce an elliptical region in 21cm radiation maps with a large emissionsignal which may serve as a prediction for upcoming 21cm redshift surveys." --




Defect Evolution in Cosmology and Condensed Matter


Book Description

This book sheds new light on topological defects in widely differing systems, using the Velocity-Dependent One-Scale Model to better understand their evolution. Topological defects – cosmic strings, monopoles, domain walls or others - necessarily form at cosmological (and condensed matter) phase transitions. If they are stable and long-lived they will be fossil relics of higher-energy physics. Understanding their behaviour and consequences is a key part of any serious attempt to understand the universe, and this requires modelling their evolution. The velocity-dependent one-scale model is the only fully quantitative model of defect network evolution, and the canonical model in the field. This book provides a review of the model, explaining its physical content and describing its broad range of applicability.




Vortices in Nonlinear Fields


Book Description

Symmetry breaking is partially responsible for the astounding variety of natural phenomena derived from a few simple and symmetric basic laws. Unique in its multidisciplinary scope, this book considers from a unified point of view the structure and dynamics of vortices in a variety of nonlinear field models with spontaneously broken symmetry. The theory has wide applications, including superfluids, superconductors, rotating spiral waves, and relativistic string theories. This volume is an integrated survey of this rapidly developing field.




Topological Defects and the Non-Equilibrium Dynamics of Symmetry Breaking Phase Transitions


Book Description

Topological defects formed at symmetry-breaking phase transitions play an important role in many different fields of physics. They appear in many condensed-matter systems at low temperature; examples include vortices in superfluid helium-4, a rich variety of defects in helium-3, quantized mag netic flux tubes in type-II superconductors, and disclination lines and other defects in liquid crystals. In cosmology, unified gauge theories of particle interactions suggest a sequence of phase transitions in the very early uni verse some of which may lead to defect formation. In astrophysics, defects play an important role in the dynamics of neutron stars. In 1997 the European Science Foundation started the scientific network "Topological defects" headed by Tom Kibble. This network has provided us with a unique opportunity of establishing a collaboration between the representatives of these very different branches of modern physics. The NATO-ASI (Advanced Study Institute), held in Les Houches in February 1999 thanks to the support of the Scientific Division of NATO, the European Science Foundation and the CNRS, represents a key event of this ESF network. It brought together participants from widely different fields, with diverse expertise and vocabulary, fostering the exchange of ideas. The lectures given by particle physicists, cosmologists and condensed matter physicists are the result of the fruitful collaborations established since 1997 between groups in several European countries and in the U.S.A.




Cosmological Implications of Topological Defects


Book Description

"This thesis investigates the role that topological defects (cosmic strings and textures) can play in producing a variety of cosmological and astrophysical phenomena. The main text is built out of a series of five published works, and one work which was submitted to a preprint archive. Following a general introduction, the thesis is split roughly into three parts. First, the impact of low frequency radiation from cosmic string loops on the global 21-cm signal at cosmic dawn, as well as on the observed distribution of fast radio bursts, is considered. Next, cosmic textures are constrained by considering their energy injection into the cosmic microwave background radiation before recombination. Finally, a mechanism is developed to study the collapse of matter into a black hole in the presence of a cosmic string loop. Black hole formation by cosmic string loops is considered for a range of black hole masses"--