Formation of Topological Defects in a Second Order Phase Transition

Abstract

The classical evolution equations of the Abelian Higgs model are studied at temperatures below the Ginsburg temperature of a phase transition which is assumed to be second order. It is shown that the initial thermal fluctuations provide a domain structure which is stable against late time fluctuations. This result lends support to the Kibble mechanism for the formation of topological defects.

Comments: Brown preprint BROWN-HET-934 (March 1994), 12 pages, uses phyzzx