Cosmological Experiments in Condensed Matter Systems

Abstract

Topological defects are thought to be left behind by the cosmological phase transitions which occur as the universe expands and cools. Similar processes can be studied in the phase transitions which take place in the laboratory: ``Cosmological'' experiments in superfluid He$^4$ and in liquid crystals were carried out within the past few years, and their results shed a new light on the dynamics of the defect-formation process. The aim of this paper is to review the key ideas behind this cosmology - condensed matter connection and to propose new experiments which could probe heretofore unaddressed aspects of the topological defects formation process.