Mechanics of cosmic rings

TL;DR

This paper explores the theoretical properties of superconducting cosmic string loops, called 'cosmic rings' or 'vortons', analyzing their equilibrium states, quantum characteristics, and potential cosmological significance.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed theoretical model of superconducting cosmic string loops, characterizing their quantum numbers, equilibrium conditions, and classification as electric or magnetic types.

Findings

Existence of stable vorton states with zero angular velocity.

Characterization of cosmic rings by charge and topological quantum numbers.

Potential role of cosmic rings in the universe's material content.

Abstract

In a flat background, simple non-conducting string loops have no strictly stationary equilibrium states, but for cosmic string loops of superconducting kind such ``vorton'' states will exist, with rotating circular configurations appropriately describable as ``cosmic rings'' (which may conceivably be a significant contributor to the material content of the universe) whose equilibrium is obtained for zero angular velocity of retrograde characteristics. Such a ``cosmic ring'' is characterised by its mass M and angular momentum J say, corresponding at a microscopic level to two independent quantum numbers, namely charge number C and a topological phase number N whose product determines the angular momentum, J=CN, while their ratio determines the local intrinsic state of the string, which may be qualitatively classified as being of ``electric'' or ``magnetic'' type depending on whether C/N is greater or less than a critical value dependent on the underlying theoretical model.