Evolution of Hybrid Defect Networks

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the evolution of hybrid defect networks, specifically monopoles attached to strings, providing new insights into their scaling behavior, potential longevity, and implications for cosmological defect evolution.

Contribution

It extends an analytic model to hybrid networks, exploring their scaling solutions and survival times, including applications to vortons.

Findings

Hybrid networks generally annihilate shortly after formation.

Under certain conditions, these networks can persist much longer than a Hubble time.

Quantitative results align with previous estimates on network decay.

Abstract

We apply a recently developed analytic model for the evolution of monopole networks to the case of monopoles attached to one string, usually known as hybrid networks. We discuss scaling solutions for both local and global hybrid networks, and also find an interesting application for the case of vortons. Our quantitative results agree with previous estimates in indicating that the hybrid networks will usually annihilate soon after the string-forming phase transition. However, we also show that in some specific circumstances these networks can survive considerably more than a Hubble time.