Cosmic Strings in Multi-Step Symmetry Breaking

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Hauptverfasser: Chitose, Akifumi, Ibe, Masahiro, Shirai, Satoshi, Wen, Yaxuan
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Chitose, Akifumi
Ibe, Masahiro
Shirai, Satoshi
Wen, Yaxuan
author_facet Chitose, Akifumi
Ibe, Masahiro
Shirai, Satoshi
Wen, Yaxuan
contents We investigate cosmic strings arising from a hierarchical gauge symmetry breaking sequence, $\mathrm{SU}(2) \times \mathrm{U}(1) \rightarrow \mathrm{U}(1) \times \mathrm{U}(1) \rightarrow \mathrm{U}(1)' \rightarrow \text{Nothing}$. This pattern gives rise to two distinct classes of cosmic strings: light, stable strings formed at a later stage, and heavy, metastable strings originating from an earlier stage. Our focus is on the heavy strings, which may decay either before or after the final $\mathrm{U}(1)'$ symmetry is broken. We analyze the internal structure of these strings and the magnetic flux sourced by monopole-like configurations that emerge at the endpoints of metastable string segments following their decay. Understanding the nature of the magnetic $\mathrm{U}(1)$ fluxes associated with these monopole-like objects is crucial for studying the post-decay evolution of the string network. The post-decay evolution influences the resulting gravitational wave signals. We show that the magnetic flux carried by string segments can be either confined or unconfined, depending on the specific sequence of symmetry breaking and string decay.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_15194
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Cosmic Strings in Multi-Step Symmetry Breaking
Chitose, Akifumi
Ibe, Masahiro
Shirai, Satoshi
Wen, Yaxuan
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Physics - Theory
We investigate cosmic strings arising from a hierarchical gauge symmetry breaking sequence, $\mathrm{SU}(2) \times \mathrm{U}(1) \rightarrow \mathrm{U}(1) \times \mathrm{U}(1) \rightarrow \mathrm{U}(1)' \rightarrow \text{Nothing}$. This pattern gives rise to two distinct classes of cosmic strings: light, stable strings formed at a later stage, and heavy, metastable strings originating from an earlier stage. Our focus is on the heavy strings, which may decay either before or after the final $\mathrm{U}(1)'$ symmetry is broken. We analyze the internal structure of these strings and the magnetic flux sourced by monopole-like configurations that emerge at the endpoints of metastable string segments following their decay. Understanding the nature of the magnetic $\mathrm{U}(1)$ fluxes associated with these monopole-like objects is crucial for studying the post-decay evolution of the string network. The post-decay evolution influences the resulting gravitational wave signals. We show that the magnetic flux carried by string segments can be either confined or unconfined, depending on the specific sequence of symmetry breaking and string decay.
title Cosmic Strings in Multi-Step Symmetry Breaking
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Physics - Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.15194