arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to B. Carter.
The classical linearised gravitational self interaction of a Goto-Nambu string is examined in four spacetime dimensions. Using a conveniently gauge independent tensorial treatment, the divergent part of the self-force is shown to be exactly zero. This is due to cancelation by a contribution that was neglected in the previous treatments. This result has implications for many applications.
We investigate the cosmological consequences of particle physics theories that admit stable loops of superconducting cosmic string - {\it vortons}. General symmetry breaking schemes are considered, in which strings are formed at one energy scale and subsequently become superconducting in a secondary phase transition at what may be a considerably lower energy scale. We estimate the abundances of the ensuing vortons, and thereby derive constraints on the relevant particle physics models from cosmological observations. These constraints significantly restrict the category of admissible Grand Unified theories, but are quite compatible with recently proposed effects whereby superconducting strings may have been formed close to the electroweak phase transition.
It has been suggested that cosmological dark matter may include a population of vortons (meaning small centrifugally stabilised cosmic string loops) as an outcome of (non-standard) electroweak symmetry breaking. The implications for this conjecture of recent theoretical progress on superconducting string theory are discussed, particularly in relation to problems of stability. It is tentatively concluded that if the underlying field theory provides a carrier field with mass not too far below that of the relevant Higgs mass (which may be a few hundred G.e.V.) electroweak string formation may conceivably produce enough vortons (with an extended mass distribution peaking perhaps at several hundred T.e.V.) to provide a marginally significant dark matter contribution.
We consider gravitationally induced perturbations of relativistic Dirac--Goto--Nambu membranes and strings (or {\it p}-branes). The dynamics are described by the first and second fundamental tensors, and related curvature tensors in an {\it n}-dimensional spacetime. We show how equations of motion can be derived for the perturbations within a general gauge and then discuss how various simple gauge choices can be used to simplify the equations of motion for specific applications. We also show how the same equations of motion can be derived from an effective action by a variational principle. Finally, we compare these equations of motion to those using more familiar notation for brane dynamics, which involves the induced metric on the worldsheet. This work sets up a general formalism for understanding the effects of backreaction on brane dynamics and the background curvature.