On a cold day, ice forms quickly on the surface of a pond. But it does not grow as a smooth, featureless covering. Instead, the water begins to freeze in many places independently, and the growing plates of ice join up in random fashion, leaving zig-zag boundaries between them.
Figure 1. When a body of water freezes over (whether a pond or the seas of Antarctica, right), ice begins forming in many places independently. As the frozen areas grow, they create irregular boundaries between areas of crystalline ice that have different orientations. Phase transitions in the early universe can likewise create topological defects, as regions of space where the transition has proceeded independently run up against each other. The author discusses the possibility that today’s universe may, as a result, be riddled with high-energy, gravitationally powerful filaments of primordial material called cosmic strings. Above, a simulation shows a step in the evolution of one region of the universe, in which cosmic strings form from a random initial distribution of phases of a hypothetical field called a Higgs field.
Image above courtesy of Paul Shellard, Cambridge University. Rick Price/Corbis
To discuss our articles or comment on them, please share them and tag American Scientist on social media platforms. Here are links to our profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
If we re-share your post, we will moderate comments/discussion following our comments policy.
American Scientist Comments and Discussion
To discuss our articles or comment on them, please share them and tag American Scientist on social media platforms. Here are links to our profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
If we re-share your post, we will moderate comments/discussion following our comments policy.