Effect of dynamical friction on the motion of cosmic strings

Journal Article · Sun Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Phys. Rev. D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.35.1124· OSTI ID:6012534

Garfinkle, D; Will, C M

As cosmic strings move through a fluid, their motion is damped by dynamical friction caused by their gravitational interaction with the surrounding matter. Both the center-of-mass motion and the oscillations of loops of string can be affected by dynamical friction. We have made a detailed estimate of this effect, and have used this estimate to derive a covariant equation of motion for a cos- mic string in an arbitrary radiation-dominated or matter-dominated fluid spacetime. The equation is valid even for string segments that move relativistically through the fluid. When applied to the very early Universe, as described by a Robertson-Walker spacetime, we find that, for loops whose scale is larger than the horizon, dynamical friction is a negligible effect compared to the conformal stretching caused by the universal expansion; and for loops that are small compared to the horizon, dynamical friction, in addition to being small compared to the conformal stretching, is also small compared to the dissipative effects of gravitational radiation emission.

• Research Organization: McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Department of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130
• OSTI ID: 6012534
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. D; (United States) Vol. 35:4; ISSN PRVDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640106* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COMPOSITE MODELS
COSMIC GASES
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ENERGY DENSITY
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
EXTENDED PARTICLE MODEL
FIELD THEORIES
FLUIDS
FRICTION
GASES
GENERAL RELATIVITY THEORY
GRAVITATIONAL FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METRICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PARTICLE MODELS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
QUARK MODEL
RELATIVITY THEORY
SPACE-TIME
STRING MODELS
UNIVERSE