Cosmic Strings and Other Topological Defects

by Alex Vilenkin, E.P.S. Shellard, E. Paul S. Shellard

This book is a comprehensive and coherent introduction to the role of cosmic strings and other topological defects in the universe. After an introduction to standard cosmological theory and the theory of phase transitions in the early universe, the book then describes, in turn, the properties, formation, and cosmological implications of cosmic strings, monopoles, domain walls and textures. It concludes with a chapter considering the role of topological defects in inflationary universe models. Ample introductory material is included to make the book readily accessible. It will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology.

580 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 1995

About the author

Alex Vilenkin is a physicist recognized for his work on the early universe cosmology. He is known particularly for his studies of topological defects, eternal cosmic inflation, quantum cosmology, and for the theory of chiral magnetic and chiral vortical effects.
Vilenkin was born in the city of Kharkov (former Soviet Union) and graduated from the Kharkov State University in 1971 with a degree in physics. He immigrated to the US in 1976 and got his Ph.D. from SUNY Buffalo the following year. After a year as a post-doc at Case Western Reserve University, he joined the faculty of Tufts University where he is currently L. and J. Bernstein Professor of Evolutionary Science. He also serves as Director of the Tufts Institute of Cosmology. Vilenkin is a fellow of the American Physical Society and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.