Cosmic sparks from superconducting strings.

Area of Science:

• Cosmology
• Particle Physics
• Astrophysics

Background:

• Recent discovery of millisecond radio bursts (Lorimer et al.) presents a puzzle for astrophysics.
• Superconducting cosmic strings are hypothetical topological defects from the early universe.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if cosmic sparks from superconducting cosmic strings can explain observed millisecond radio bursts.
• To analyze the consistency of the superconducting cosmic string model with observational data.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical modeling of cosmic sparks generated at cusps of superconducting cosmic strings.
• Comparison of model predictions (duration, fluence, spectrum, event rate) with observational data of millisecond radio bursts.

Main Results:

• The superconducting cosmic string model, with currents around 10{5} GeV, reasonably explains the observed properties of millisecond radio bursts.
• The model predicts an event rate falling as S{-1/2}, implying a population of very bright bursts.
• Existing and future radio surveys with varying parameters can impose tight constraints on this model.

Conclusions:

• Superconducting cosmic strings provide a viable explanation for millisecond radio bursts.
• The model's prediction of a bright burst population highlights the importance of sensitive radio surveys.
• Further observations are crucial for testing and refining the superconducting cosmic string theory.