Radio bursts from superconducting strings

TL;DR

This paper proposes that radio bursts from superconducting string cusps are linearly polarized, offering a distinctive signature to differentiate them from astrophysical sources, and discusses their event rate and implications for particle physics models.

Contribution

It introduces the polarization signature of superconducting string cusps and relates the event rate to observational parameters, enabling constraints on particle physics models.

Findings

Radio bursts from superconducting strings are linearly polarized.

Event rate can be about ten per year for certain string parameters.

Non-detection can constrain particle physics models.

Abstract

We show that radio bursts from cusps on superconducting strings are linearly polarized, thus, providing a signature that can be used to distinguish them from astrophysical sources. We write the event rate of string-generated radio transients in terms of observational variables, namely, the event duration and flux. Assuming a canonical set of observational parameters, we find that the burst event rate can be quite reasonable, e.g., order ten a year for Grand Unified strings with 100 TeV currents, and a lack of observed radio bursts can potentially place strong constraints on particle physics models.