String Production in the Abelian Higgs Vacuum

Abstract

We numerically study string production by evolving classical Abelian-Higgs gauge field wavepackets. Initial conditions are constructed for the propagation of a single wavepacket and for the collision of two wavepackets. We identify regions of parameter space that lead to prompt production of strings from a single wavepacket. The collision of two sub-critical wavepackets can also lead to the production of strings in certain regions of parameter space.