Cosmological Experiments in Condensed Matter Systems

TL;DR

This paper reviews how laboratory experiments in superfluid helium and liquid crystals can simulate cosmological phase transitions, providing insights into topological defect formation in the universe.

Contribution

It synthesizes existing cosmology-condensed matter analogies and proposes new experiments to explore defect formation processes.

Findings

Laboratory experiments mimic cosmological defect formation.

Results offer new understanding of defect dynamics.

Proposed experiments aim to address unexplored aspects.

Abstract

Topological defects are thought to be left behind by the cosmological phase transitions which occur as the universe expands and cools. Similar processes can be studied in the phase transitions which take place in the laboratory: ``Cosmological'' experiments in superfluid He$^4$ and in liquid crystals were carried out within the past few years, and their results shed a new light on the dynamics of the defect-formation process. The aim of this paper is to review the key ideas behind this cosmology - condensed matter connection and to propose new experiments which could probe heretofore unaddressed aspects of the topological defects formation process.