Cosmic Strings and Electroweak Baryogenesis

Abstract

The electroweak symmetry is unbroken in the core of cosmic strings originating from a symmetry breaking at an energy higher than the electroweak scale $\eta_{EW}$. The dynamics of such strings may generate a baryon asymmetry below the electroweak symmetry breaking scale. This mechanism for electroweak baryogenesis is most efficient if the scale of string formation is only slightly higher than $\eta_{EW}$ \eg \ in theories of dynamical symmetry breaking) and if the strings are superconducting. The mechanism is also effective if the electroweak phase transition is second order.