ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY-PRODUCTION IN THE FORMATION OF A SUPERCONDUCTING COSMIC-STRING

The electromagnetic modes outside an infinitely long, straight, superconducting cosmic string are calculated, assuming that the string is surrounded by a superconducting cylindrical surface. Thereafter, via a Bogoliubov-transformation-type argument, the electromagnetic energy W produced per unit length in the lowest mode is calculated when the string is taken to be formed ''suddenly.'' It is found that, apart from factors of order unity, W∼(Gμ/t)2 where G is the gravitational constant, μ the string mass per unit length, and t the GUT time. This is essentially in agreement with the result obtained by Parker for the scalar field [Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 1369 (1987)]. © 1995 The American Physical Society.