2001/04/30 by Xavier Siemens, Ken D. Olum
Physics and Astronomy · #Amplitude #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #COSMIC cancer database #Classical mechanics #Cosmic ray #Cosmic string #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Gravitation #Gravitational energy #Gravitational wave #Optics #Physics #Radiation #String (physics) #Theoretical physics #Wavelength #astro-ph #gr-qc #hep-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/s0550-3213(01)00353-4
published as Nucl.Phys.B611:125-145,2001; Erratum-ibid.B645:367,2002 · Replaced with revised version accepted for publication by Nuclear Physics B
arxiv created 2001/08/27 · openalex publication_date 2001/09/01 · arxiv updated 2014/11/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We calculate the gravitational radiation emitted by an infinite cosmic string with two oppositely moving wave-trains, in the small amplitude approximation. After comparing our result to the previously studied cases we extend the results to a new regime where the wavelengths of the opposing wave-trains are very different. We show that in this case the amount of power radiated vanishes exponentially. This means that small excitations moving in only one direction may be very long lived, and so the size of the smallest scales in a string network might be much smaller than what one would expect from gravitational back reaction. This result allows for a potential host of interesting cosmological possibilities involving ultra-high energy cosmic rays, gamma ray bursts and gravitational wave bursts.