Creation of stable strings in the O(4) sigma model

By Filipe Freire, Leiden University

The O(4) sigma model is used has a toy model to study the field thermodynamics of the Higgs sector of the electroweak theory. Following the decoupling of the neutral “Higgs field” after the finite temperature phase transition we observe the formation of a string network. This scenario supports the Nagasawa Brandenberger mechanism for the stabilisation of electroweak strings.