Non-intercommuting Cosmic Strings

Abstract

We perform the numerical field evolution for the collision of two Abelian type I cosmic strings. We present evidence that, for collisions at small but characteristic relative velocities and angles, these cosmic strings do not exchange ends and separate. Rather, local higher winding number bound states are formed close to the collision point, which promote multiple local scatterings at right angles and prevent intercommutation from happening. This constitutes the simplest example of the breakdown of the intercommutation rule, usually assumed in the construction of effective models for cosmic string network evolution.

Reference to URL with Animations corrected. To appear in Physical Review Letters. 4 pages, 2 figures, RevTeX, available through anonymous ftp from ftp://euclid.tp.ph.ic.ac.uk/papers or on WWW at http://euclid.tp.ph.ic.ac.uk/Papers

References in corpus (2)

• Interactions between $U(1)$ Cosmic Strings: An Analytical Study
• Non Intercommuting Configurations in the Collisions of Type-I $U(1)$ Cosmic Strings

Cited by in corpus (28)

• Collision Dynamics and Rung Formation of Non-Abelian Vortices
• Cosmic strings and their induced non-Gaussianities in the cosmic microwave background
• New Constraints from High Redshift Supernovae and Lensing Statistics upon Scalar Field Cosmologies
• Velocity-Dependent Models for Non-Abelian/Entangled String Networks
• Evolution of a Non-Abelian Cosmic String Network
• Cosmic Strings from Supersymmetric Flat Directions
• Kinematic Constraints on Formation of Bound States of Cosmic Strings - Field Theoretical Approach
• A practical model for cosmic (p,q) superstrings
• Cosmic string Y-junctions: a comparison between field theoretic and Nambu-Goto dynamics
• Effective non-intercommutation of local cosmic strings at high collision speeds
• Electroweak axion string and superconductivity
• Type-I cosmic string network
• Monopole annihilation in cosmic necklaces
• Lensing and CMB Anisotropies by Cosmic Strings at a Junction
• Vortex Collisions: Crossing or Recombination?
• Heavy cosmic strings
• Interaction between vortices in models with two order parameters
• The Quality/Cosmology Tension for a Post-Inflation QCD Axion
• High speed collision and reconnection of Abelian Higgs strings in the deep type-II regime
• Correlations between cosmic strings and extra relativistic species
• Quantum current dissipation in superconducting strings and vortons
• New Type of String Solutions with Long Range Forces
• Y-junction intercommutations of current carrying strings
• Intercommutation of Semilocal Strings and Skyrmions
• Intercommutation of U(1) global cosmic strings
• Analytical considerations about the cosmological constant and dark energy
• Black Strings in Our World
• A simple model for the evolution of a non-Abelian cosmic string network