Prolongation of Friction Dominated Evolution for Superconducting Cosmic Strings

Abstract

This investigation is concerned with cosmological scenarios based on particle physics theories that give rise to superconducting cosmic strings (whose subsequent evolution may produce stable loop configurations known as vortons). Cases in which electromagnetic coupling of the string current is absent or unimportant have been dealt with in previous work. The purpose of the present work is to provide quantitative estimates for cases in which electromagnetic interaction with the surrounding plasma significantly affects the string dynamics. In particular it will be shown that the current can become sufficiently strong for the initial period of friction dominated string motion to be substantially prolonged, which would entail a reinforcement of the short length scale end of the spectrum of the string distribution, with potentially observable cosmological implications if the friction dominated scenario lasts until the time of plasma recombination.