|
|
Article: Getting vibes from cosmic strings.
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- May 30, 1987
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1987 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Getting vibes from cosmic strings
Cosmic strings are defects in the structure of the universe,defects in space itself. They are leftovers from an earlier phase of cosmic existence in which space, the "vacuum,' had different properties. In modern physics, space can have properties analogous to those of matter, and it can undergo phase changes similar to the freezing or boiling of material substances. Cosmic strings are analogous to the crystal defects that occur when some liquid doesn't freeze exactly right.
The strings form loops carrying masses of 10(22) grams percentimeter of length and electrical supercurrents of 10(20) amperes. Weird as these ...