Solitons formation through classical dynamics of two scalar fields with the potential having a saddle point and one minimum in (2+1)-space-time is discussed. We show that under certain conditions in the early Universe both domain walls and strings can be formed even if scalar fields are inflaton ones.
Axions have for some time been considered a plausible candidate for dark matter. They can be produced through misalignment, but it has been argued that when inflation occurs before a Peccei-Quinn transition, appreciable production can result from cos
mic strings. This has been the subject of extensive simulations. But there are reasons to be skeptical about the possible role of axion strings. We review and elaborate on these questions, and argue that parametrically strings are already accounted for by the assumption of random misalignment angles. The arguments are base on considerations of the collective modes of the string solutions, on computations of axion radiation in particular models, and reviews of simulations.
Contrary to the standard model that does not admit topologically nontrivial solitons, two Higgs doublet models admit topologically stable vortex strings and domain walls. We numerically confirm the existence of a topological $Z$-string confining frac
tional $Z$-flux inside. We show that topological strings at $sintheta_W = 0$ limit reduce to non-Abelian strings which possess non-Abelian moduli $S^2$ associated with spontaneous breakdown of the $SU(2)$ custodial symmetry. We numerically solve the equations of motion for various parameter choices. It is found that a gauging $U(1)_Y$ always lowers the tension of the $Z$-string while it keeps that of the $W$-string. On the other hand, a deformation of the Higgs potential is either raising or lowering the tensions of the $Z$-string and $W$-string. We numerically obtain an effective potential for the non-Abelian moduli $S^2$ for various parameter deformations under the restriction $tanbeta=1$. It is the first time to show that there exists a certain parameter region where the topological $W$-string can be the most stable topological excitation, contrary to conventional wisdom of electroweak theories. We also obtain numerical solutions of composites of the string and domain walls in a certain condition.
We study configurations of intersecting domain walls in a Wess-Zumino model with three vacua. We introduce a volume-preserving flow and show that its static solutions are configurations of intersecting domain walls that form double bubbles, that is,
minimal area surfaces which enclose and separate two prescribed volumes. To illustrate this field theory approach to double bubbles, we use domain walls to reconstruct the phase diagram for double bubbles in the flat square two-torus and also construct all known examples of double bubbles in the flat cubic three-torus.
We present exact solutions to Vasilievs bosonic higher spin gravity equations in four dimensions with positive and negative cosmological constant that admit an interpretation in terms of domain walls, quasi-instantons and Friedman-Robertson-Walker (F
RW) backgrounds. Their isometry algebras are infinite dimensional higher-spin extensions of spacetime isometries generated by six Killing vectors. The solutions presented are obtained by using a method of holomorphic factorization in noncommutative twistor space and gauge functions. In interpreting the solutions in terms of Fronsdal-type fields in spacetime, a field-dependent higher spin transformation is required, which is implemented at leading order. To this order, the scalar field solves Klein-Gordon equation with conformal mass in (anti) de Sitter space. We interpret the FRW solution with de Sitter asymptotics in the context of inflationary cosmology and we expect that the domain wall and FRW solutions are associated with spontaneously broken scaling symmetries in their holographic description. We observe that the factorization method provides a convenient framework for setting up a perturbation theory around the exact solutions, and we propose that the nonlinear completion of particle excitations over FRW and domain wall solutions requires black hole-like states.
We study $J$-kink domain walls in $D=4$ massive $mathbb{C}P^1$ sigma model. The domain walls are not static but stationary, since they rotate in an internal $S^1$ space with a frequency $omega$ and a momentum ${bf k}$ along the domain wall. They are
characterized by a conserved current $J_mu = (Q,{bf J})$, and are classified into magnetic ($J^2 < 0$), null ($J^2=0$), and electric ($J^2 > 0$) types. Under a natural assumption that a low energy effective action of the domain wall is dual to the $D=4$ DBI action for a membrane, we are lead to a coincidence between the $J$-kink domain wall and the membrane with constant magnetic field $B$ and electric field ${bf E}$. We also find that $(Q, {bf J}, omega, {bf k})$ is dual to $(B, {bf E}, H, {bf D})$ with $H$ and ${bf D}$ being a magnetizing field and a displacement field, respectively.