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arXiv · 0909.1960

Kinks and small-scale structure on cosmic strings

E. J. Copeland·T. W. B. Kibble
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Abstract

We discuss some hitherto puzzling features of the small-scale structure of cosmic strings. We argue that kinks play a key role, and that an important quantity to study is their sharpness distribution. In particular we suggest that for very small scales the two-point correlation function of the string tangent vector varies linearly with the separation and not as a fractional power, as proposed by Polchinski and Rocha [Phys. Rev. D 74, 083504 (2006)]. However, our results are consistent with theirs, because the range of scales to which this linearity applies shrinks as evolution proceeds.

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E. J. Copeland, T. W. B. Kibble. 2009-11-26. Kinks and small-scale structure on cosmic strings. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.80.123523

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