HEP Theory Journal Club

Superconducting strings, Critical Currents, Vorton Stability, and Cosmological Constraints

Samuel Laliberté

McGill

Cosmic strings are topological defects predicted by many models beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. In some models, the strings act like superconducting wires that can generate a variety of observable astrophysical and cosmological effects. For example, a particular configuration of the wire, the vorton, can persist and cause the same kind of problems as monopoles in cosmology. In this talk, I will show how a U(1) x U(1) gauge theory with an unbroken gauge symmetry and a broken gauge symmetry can give rise to strings which have persisting currents. Then, I will show how arbitrary large currents are suppressed by field quenching and discuss vorton stability from the point of view of electrodynamics. Finally, I will briefly go over some cosmological constraints on superconducting strings from the Cosmic Microwave Background.