Dynamical simulations of colliding superconducting strings

Abstract

We study the collisions of elastic superconducting strings, also referred to as current-carrying strings, formed in a $U_{\mathrm{local}}(1)\times U_{\mathrm{global}}(1)$ field-theory model, using three-dimensional numerical field-theoretic simulations. The breaking of $U_{\mathrm{local}}(1)$ leads to string formation via the Higgs mechanism, while the scalar field of the second $U_{\mathrm{global}}(1)$ carries the current, which condenses onto the string. We construct straight and static superconducting string solutions numerically and identify the regions in which they exist in the model parameter space. We then perform dynamical simulations for colliding superconducting strings with various collision angles and collision velocities. We explore the kinematic parameter space for six sets of model parameters characterising the coupling between the two scalar fields and the current on the string. The final states of the strings (after the collision) are reported diagrammatically. We classify them into four categories: (i) regular intercommutation, (ii) double intercommutation, (iii) bound state, and (iv) expanding string solution. We find that the outcome of the collision process is the regular intercommutation of the colliding strings in most of the kinematic parameter space while they form bound states for small velocities and small angles. We also find that the strings undergo two successive intercommutations and, therefore, pass through one other in a small region corresponding to relatively small angles and velocities of order c/2. The string structure breaks down when there is a relatively large coupling between the two scalar fields, even if each string is stable before the occurrence of the collision.

24 pages, 18 figures, 2 tables; accepted version in JCAP

References in corpus (36)

• Gravitational wave stochastic background from cosmic (super)strings
• Stochastic gravitational wave background from smoothed cosmic string loops
• CMB power spectrum contribution from cosmic strings using field-evolution simulations of the Abelian Higgs model
• Gravitational Waves from Abelian Gauge Fields and Cosmic Strings at Preheating
• Cosmic string loop distribution on all length scales and at any redshift
• Stochastic gravitational waves from cosmic string loops in scaling
• Cosmic Sparks from Superconducting Strings
• New CMB constraints for Abelian Higgs cosmic strings
• Search for the Gravitational-wave Background from Cosmic Strings with the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array Second Data Release
• Equivalence Principle Violation in Vainshtein Screened Two-Body Systems
• Searching for cosmic string induced stochastic gravitational wave background with the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array
• Implications of fast radio bursts for superconducting cosmic strings
• Cosmic Strings from Supersymmetric Flat Directions
• Kinematic Constraints on Formation of Bound States of Cosmic Strings - Field Theoretical Approach
• Constraints on the Nambu-Goto cosmic string contribution to the CMB power spectrum in light of new temperature and polarisation data
• Cosmic string Y-junctions: a comparison between field theoretic and Nambu-Goto dynamics
• Effective non-intercommutation of local cosmic strings at high collision speeds
• 511 KeV photons from superconducting cosmic strings
• CMB power spectrum of Nambu-Goto cosmic strings
• One $\mu$ to rule them all: CMB spectral distortions can probe domain walls, cosmic strings and low scale phase transitions
• Gravitational Waves from Current-Carrying Cosmic Strings
• Models for Small-Scale Structure on Cosmic Strings: I. Mathematical Formalism
• Emission of gravitational waves by superconducting cosmic strings
• Generalised velocity-dependent one-scale model for current-carrying strings
• Constraints on Superconducting Cosmic Strings from Early Reionization
• Cosmic string gravitational waves from global $U(1{)}_{B-L}$ symmetry breaking as a probe of the type I seesaw scale
• Models for Small-Scale Structure on Cosmic Strings: II. Scaling and its stability
• Coupled currents in cosmic strings
• Quantum current dissipation in superconducting strings and vortons
• Excited cosmic strings with superconducting currents
• Zipping and Unzipping in String Networks: Dynamics of Y-junctions
• Stochastic gravitational waves from long cosmic strings
• Cosmological evolution of Witten superconducting string networks
• Universal Gravitational Wave Signatures of Cosmological Solitons
• Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies generated by cosmic strings with small-scale structure
• Y-junction intercommutations of current carrying strings

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Inflationary phase transitions in the early Universe: A Bayesian study with space-based gravitational-wave detectors