Cosmic strings in compactified gauge theory

Abstract

A solution of the vortex type is given in a six-dimensional $SU(2)\times U(1)$ pure gauge theory coupled to Einstein gravity in a compactified background geometry. We construct the solution of an effective abelian Higgs model in terms of dimensional reduction. The solution, however, has a peculiarity in its physically relevant quantity, a deficit angle, which is given as a function of the ratio of the gauge couplings of $SU(2)$ and $U(1)$. The size of the extra space (sphere) is shown to vary with the distance from the axis of the "string".