Semilocal and Electroweak Strings

TL;DR

This paper reviews non-topological electroweak defects, focusing on semilocal and electroweak strings, their stability, properties, potential experimental relevance, and cosmological implications, including connections to superfluid helium.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of electroweak strings and monopoles, highlighting recent progress and their possible experimental and cosmological significance.

Findings

Semilocal strings challenge traditional vortex properties.

Electroweak strings can be stable under certain conditions.

Potential observable effects in particle experiments and cosmology.

Abstract

We review a class of non-topological defects in the standard electroweak model, and their implications. Starting with the semilocal string, which provides a counterexample to many well known properties of topological vortices, we discuss electroweak strings and their stability with and without external influences such as magnetic fields. Other known properties of electroweak strings and monopoles are described in some detail and their potential relevance to future particle accelerator experiments and to baryon number violating processes is considered. We also review recent progress on the cosmology of electroweak defects and the connection with superfluid helium, where some of the effects discussed here could possibly be tested.