Formation of Topological Defects at First Order Phase Transitions

Abstract

We analyze the evolution of scalar and gauge fields during first order phase transitions and show how the Kibble mechanism for the formation of topological defects emerges from the underlying dynamics, paying particular attention to problems posed by gauge invariance when a local symmetry is spontaneously broken. We discuss also the application of the mechanism to semilocal defects and electroweak strings.

Comments: (PP 18, 2 Figures appended in postscript format, needs phyzzx.tex) DAMTP-93-13, BROWN-HET-902