Unified model for vortex-string network evolution

C. J. A. P. Martins, J. N. Moore, E. P. S. Shellard

Abstract
We describe and numerically test the velocity-dependent one-scale string evolution model, a simple analytic approach describing a string network with the averaged correlation length and velocity. We show that it accurately reproduces the large-scale behavior (in particular the scaling laws) of numerical simulations of both Goto-Nambu and field theory string networks. We explicitly demonstrate the relation between the high-energy physics approach and the damped and nonrelativistic limits which are relevant for condensed matter physics. We also reproduce experimental results in this context and show that the vortex-string density is significantly reduced by loop production, an effect not included in the usual “coarse-grained” approach.

Physical Review Letters
Volume 92
June 2004

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.251601