Cosmic strings from preheating

Abstract

We investigate nonthermal phase transitions that may occur after post-inflationary preheating in a simple model of a two-component scalar field with the effective potential $\lambda (\phi_i^2 - {\rm v}^2)^2/4$, where $\phi_1$ is identified with the inflaton field. We use three-dimensional lattice simulations to investigate the full nonlinear dynamics of the model. Fluctuations of the fields generated during and after preheating temporarily make the effective potential convex in the $\phi_1$ direction. The subsequent nonthermal phase transition with symmetry breaking leads to formation of cosmic strings even for ${\rm v} \gg 10^{16}$ GeV. This mechanism of string formation, in a modulated (by the oscillating field $\phi_{1}$) phase transition, is different from the usual Kibble mechanism.