Quantum stabilization of cosmic strings

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Publication:2946231

DOI10.1142/S0217732315300220zbMATH Open1320.81012arXiv1505.07631WikidataQ59276979 ScholiaQ59276979MaRDI QIDQ2946231FDOQ2946231


Authors: Herbert Weigel, Markus Quandt, Noah Graham Edit this on Wikidata


Publication date: 16 September 2015

Published in: Modern Physics Letters A (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: In the standard model, stabilization of a classically unstable cosmic string may occur through the quantum fluctuations of a heavy fermion doublet. We review numerical results from a semiclassical expansion in a reduced version of the standard model. In this expansion the leading quantum corrections emerge at one loop level for many internal degrees of freedom. The resulting vacuum polarization energy and the binding energy of occupied fermion energy levels are of the same order, and must therefore be treated on equal footing. Populating these bound states lowers the total energy compared to the same number of free fermions. Charged strings are already stabilized for a fermion mass only somewhat larger than the top quark mass. Though obtained in a reduced version these results suggest that neither extraordinarily large fermion masses nor unrealistic couplings are required to bind a cosmic string in the standard model. Furthermore we also review results for a quantum stabilization mechanism that prevents closed Nielsen-Olesen type strings from collapsing.


Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.07631




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