Cerenkov radiation from collisions of straight cosmic (super)strings

Abstract

We consider Cerenkov radiation which must arise when randomly oriented straight cosmic (super)strings move with relativistic velocities without intercommutation. String interactions via dilaton, two-form and gravity (gravity being the dominant force in the ultra-relativistic regime) leads to formation of superluminal sources which generate Cerenkov radiation of dilatons and axions. Though the effect is of the second order in the couplings of strings to these fields, its total efficiency is increased by high dependence of the radiation rate on the Lorentz-factor of the collision.