Unconventional string-like singularities in flat spacetime

TL;DR

This paper explores the existence of novel string-like singularities in flat spacetime, extending beyond traditional conical singularities, with potential implications for cosmology, astrophysics, and material science.

Contribution

It introduces new types of string-like singularities with non-linear structures such as spirals and loops, expanding the understanding of possible singularities in flat spacetime.

Findings

Constructed examples of string-like singularities with spiral and loop structures.

Suggested these singularities could have distinct cosmological and material properties.

Indicated potential for these singularities to model different physical phenomena.

Abstract

The conical singularity in flat spacetime is mostly known as a model of the cosmic string or the wedge disclination in solids. Its another, equally important, function is to be a representative of quasiregular singularities. From all these of views it seems interesting to find out whether there exist other similar singularities. To specify what "similar" means I introduce the notion of the string-like singularity, which is, roughly speaking, an absolutely mild singularity concentrated on a curve or on a 2-surface S (depending on whether the space is three- of four-dimensional). A few such singularities are already known: the aforementioned conical singularity, two its Lorentzian versions, the "spinning string", the "screw dislocation", and Tod's spacetime. In all these spacetimes S is a straight line (or a plane) and one may wonder if this is an inherent property of the string-like singularities. The aim of this paper is to construct string-like singularities with less trivial S. These include flat spacetimes in which S is a spiral, or even a loop. If such singularities exist in nature (in particular, as an approximation to gravitational field of strings) their cosmological and astrophysical manifestations must differ drastically from those of the conventional cosmic strings. Likewise, being realized as topological defects in crystals such loops and spirals will probably also have rather unusual properties.