BARYOGENESIS FROM COLLAPSING TOPOLOGICAL DEFECTS

Topological defects in or coupled to grand unified gauge theories can trap a substantial fraction of the energy density of the universe. When the defects collapse, they release energy in the form of superheavy particles. In theories with CP and baryon number violation, this may lead to an enhanced net baryon to entropy ratio. We explicitly study cosmic string loop, texture and global monopole annihilation.