# Cosmological parameter dependence in local string theories of structure formation

## I Introduction

Modern theories of structure formation are based on two paradigms: cosmological inflation  and topological defects . Inflationary scenarios produce structure from vacuum quantum fluctuations, and have been well studied. Hence upcoming high precision experiments aimed at measuring the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropy and Large Scale Structure (LSS) power spectra should also provide information on the model’s free parameters. Parameters internal to the theory are, for example, the primordial tilt, the perturbations’ amplitude, or the percentage of tensor modes. Others describe the current state of the Universe, and include the ratios to the critical density, of the matter density, $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$, of the vacuum energy, $`\mathrm{\Omega }_\mathrm{\Lambda }`$, of the baryon density, $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$, and the Hubble constant $`H_0`$.

Progress in defect theories has been slower. Here, as the Universe cools down, high temperature symmetries are spontaneously broken, and remnants of the unbroken phase may survive the transition . These “vacuum” defects later seed fluctuations in the CMB and LSS. The defect evolution is highly non linear, thereby complicating the computation of these fluctuations. However, recent breakthroughs in method and computer technology have allowed unprecedented progress , although the results for a standard combination of parameters ($`\mathrm{\Omega }=1`$, $`\mathrm{\Omega }_\mathrm{\Lambda }=0`$, $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b=0.05`$, $`H_0=50`$ km/sec/Mpc) were discouraging. Tuning parameters to fit the data has not been thoroughly attempted, although initial indications are that it is possible to improve the fits considerably . Also, combinations of strings and inflation with the standard parameters seem to fit the data much better than each separate component .

Unlike inflation, defect theories only have one internal parameter: the symmetry breaking energy scale (which is also the string mass per unit length $`\mu `$ for local cosmic strings). Nonetheless, quantities like $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$, $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$, $`\mathrm{\Omega }_\mathrm{\Lambda }`$, or $`H_0`$ are also free parameters in defect theories, although it has been suggested in the context of global theories that the dependence on these is much weaker . The purpose of this paper is to reexamine this statement, in the context of local cosmic strings.

Before such a study can be attempted a number of aspects of the work on strings  need to be refined. The effect of the radiation to matter (RM) transition, and the transition to curvature or vacuum domination upon the network need to be established, if sensitivity to the cosmological parameters is to be fully considered. However, these effects were neglected in the recent highest accuracy calculations of structure formation with local cosmic strings , which make use of unequal time correlators (UETC). Here we will use the 3-scale model of Austin, Copeland and Kibble  to evaluate those effects in a flat Universe with no cosmological constant. A further key ingredient of this model is the inclusion of gravitational backreaction (GBR). These results are incorporated into the UETCs of , and the CMB and LSS power spectra are obtained on a grid of values for $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$ and $`H_0`$. We argue that this combination of techniques provides the most accurate calculation of these spectra allowed by current computer technology.

This paper is set up as follows. First, in section II, we discuss the aspects of the 3-scale model which are relevant to this work. In section III we then explain how these results are incorporated into the UETCs of . The resulting CMB and LSS power spectra, and their dependence on $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$ and $`H_0`$ are then presented in section IV. Conclusions are given in section V.

## II The 3-scale model

The 3-scale model  provides an analytic description of the string network in terms of three physical lengths $`\xi `$, $`\overline{\xi }`$ and $`\zeta `$. The mean string separation is $`\xi `$ so that the energy density in strings is $`\rho =\mu /\xi ^2`$. (Renormalisation effects are encoded in $`\xi `$ and not $`\mu `$.) The mean correlation length along the strings is $`\overline{\xi }(\xi )`$. Finally the small scale structure is described by $`\zeta `$ which is effectively the interkink distance. These scales are implicitly functions of each other, of time $`t`$ and of parameters describing the effects of expansion, gravitational radiation, GBR, loop formation and intercommutation. They also determine the root mean square string velocity $`v_{rms}`$. In this paper we have solved the evolution equations for $`d\xi /da`$, $`d\overline{\xi }/da`$ and $`d\zeta /da`$ in terms of the scale factor $`a`$ and the variables $`\gamma =1/H\xi `$, $`\overline{\gamma }=1/H\overline{\xi }`$ and $`ϵ=1/H\zeta `$ where $`H`$ is the Hubble parameter. We do not write out these rather long equations here: they follow directly from those given in  by a simple change of variables from $`ta`$. Of particular interest is the effect of GBR, the behaviour of the network across the RM transition, and the question of whether or not the system has reached a scaling regime ($`ϵ`$, $`\gamma `$ and $`\overline{\gamma }`$ all constant) today.

The 3-scale model could be criticised for containing many undetermined parameters. However, some of these —such as the infinite string intercommutation probability $`\chi `$, the chopping efficiency $`c`$ which gives the rate of loop formation, and $`\mathrm{\Gamma }G\mu `$ the rate of gravitational radiation, also appear in 1-scale models, for example . Other parameters are tightly constrained by numerical simulations of cosmic string evolution (see below). Indeed, the only undetermined parameters are $`k`$, which describes the excess small-scale kinkiness on loops compared to long strings, and $`\widehat{C}`$ which determines the rate at which GBR smooths the small-scale kinkiness; $`d\zeta /dt|_{GBR}=\widehat{C}\mathrm{\Gamma }G\mu `$. Neither quantity is to be found in current numerical simulations nor in other analytic models. One further point; we assume here that gravitational radiation and not particle production is the dominant source of energy loss . This implies that $`\widehat{C}>\widehat{C}_{crit}>k`$ for $`\widehat{C}_{crit}`$ a given constant of order 1 . The reader is referred to  for a recent discussion of the effect of different decay mechanisms on the observational consequences of strings.

Some important features of the solutions for $`\gamma `$, $`\overline{\gamma }`$, $`ϵ`$ and $`v_{rms}`$ are shown in Fig. 1 for different values of $`\widehat{C}`$. One of these is that there are two different scaling solutions. The first, ‘transient’ solution, has constant values of $`\gamma _{tr}`$, $`\overline{\gamma }_{tr}`$ and $`v_{rms}^{tr}`$ (independent of $`\widehat{C}`$), but $`ϵ`$ is growing: small scale structure is building up on the network. We believe that this corresponds to the scaling solutions of numerical simulations which have no GBR (so $`\widehat{C}=0`$). From the evolution equations one can obtain expressions for $`\gamma _{tr}`$, $`\overline{\gamma }_{tr}`$ and $`v_{rms}^{tr}`$  and thus bound them by data from simulations, which in turn constrains many of the 3-scale model parameters as claimed above. We comment that the duration of the transient regime does depend on $`\widehat{C}`$, ending when $`ϵ1/\mathrm{\Gamma }G\mu \widehat{C}`$. Thus if, as in numerical simulations, we were to set $`\widehat{C}=0`$ it would last indefinately, with $`ϵ\mathrm{}`$ eventually causing the strings to disappear ($`\gamma ,\overline{\gamma }0`$). Finally, recall that in Ref  particle production was found to be the dominant source of energy loss from the network. The analogue here correpsonds to having $`k>\widehat{C}_{crit}`$ for which the evolution equations lead to a scaling regime with $`\gamma ϵ\overline{\gamma }`$; a 1-scale model .

Fig. 1 shows that following the transient regime is a new ‘full’ scaling regime in which all the variables reach new constant values, apart from a period between $`5<\mathrm{ln}(a/a_{eq})<10`$ (including recombination and even today) resulting from the RM transition. It appears that the string network might only just, if at all, be reaching a scaling solution today. Indeed, across the transition, different scales seem to reach scaling at different rates which are also dependent on $`\widehat{C}`$. We also see that as $`\widehat{C}`$ increases $`\zeta `$ increases since kinks are smoothed out more effectively; $`v_{rms}`$ is also increased. It is this full scaling solution, and not the transient one that is clearly the relevant one for structure formation. However, we noted above that $`\widehat{C}`$ is so far unknown. We have therefore chosen to work in the limit where the scaling solutions are as insensitive as possible to $`\widehat{C}`$. From Fig. 1 this corresponds to large values of $`\widehat{C}`$ for which the decrease in physical energy density across the radiaton-matter transition is also largest. In that limit, the solutions plotted in Fig. 1 are also insensitive to the precise value of $`k(<\widehat{C}_{crit})`$—the exception is $`ϵ`$ which decreases as ‘particle production’ ($`k`$) increases.

## III Method of determination of the Powerspectra

We have used the full scaling solutions including GBR with large $`\widehat{C}`$ to update the results of , where the power spectra in string induced CMB fluctuations ($`C_{\mathrm{}}`$) and LSS ($`P(k)`$) were computed following methods first proposed in . Of key importance is to obtain from simulations the 2-point functions of the defect stress-energy tensor $`\mathrm{\Theta }_{\mu \nu }`$. These so-called unequal time correlators (UETC) are defined as $`\mathrm{\Theta }_{\mu \nu }(𝐤,\tau )\mathrm{\Theta }_{\alpha \beta }^{}(𝐤,\tau ^{})𝒞_{\mu \nu ,\alpha \beta }(k,\tau ,\tau ^{})`$ where $`𝐤`$ is the wavevector and $`\tau `$ and $`\tau ^{}`$ are any two (conformal) times. UETCs contain all the information required for computing the power spectra in defect induced fluctuations. They fall off sharply away from the equal-time diagonal ($`\tau =\tau ^{}`$), and are tightly constrained by requirements of self-similarity (or scaling) and causality. These properties allow extrapolation of measurements made over the limited dynamical range of simulations, thus giving the defect history over the whole life of the Universe.

However, it is clear that scaling breaks down near the RM transition (Fig. 1). This may be incorporated into the UETCs by measuring radiation and matter epoch UETCs, transition UETCs, and then interpolating . Such a procedure was applied to global defects, but cannot be followed with the simulations of , in which the expansion damping effects upon the network are neglected. Nonetheless these simulations are still the only available complete source of local string UETCs (see however ). The 3 scale model of , while allowing the most rigorous study to date of departures from scaling, does not provide sufficient information for constructing UETCs.

We therefore decided to adopt a hybrid approach, and incorporate the information supplied by the 3-scale model of  into the UETCs of . The UETCs are renormalised with a non-scaling factor describing the change in comoving string density across the RM transition, as determined from the 3-scale model. That is we make the replacement

$$𝒞_{\mu \nu ,\alpha \beta }(k,\tau ,\tau ^{})𝒞_{\mu \nu ,\alpha \beta }(k,\tau ,\tau ^{})\alpha (\tau )\alpha (\tau ^{})$$
(1)   
where $`\alpha (\tau )`$ measures the change in the defect scaled comoving density. More specifically, $`\alpha (\tau )=N\tau ^2\rho _c=N\mu (Ha\tau \gamma )^2`$ where $`N`$ is a normalisation factor chosen such that $`\alpha (\tau )=1`$ deep in the radiation era, and $`\rho _c`$ is the comoving energy density in srings. Note that $`\alpha `$ depends on $`\gamma `$ and hence (see figure 1) on $`\widehat{C}`$: this $`\widehat{C}`$ dependence of $`\alpha `$ is plotted in figure 2. The procedure given in equation (1) was also followed in , in the context of a semi-analytical model for string induced fluctuations. The rationale lies on the fact that UETCs are proportional to the square of the defect comoving density, if one assumes no correlation between individual defects (as in the model of ). The presence of inter-defect correlations, non-negligible for small wavelengths, means that the shape of the correlators could in principle also change with $`\gamma `$. However, it is difficult to extract this information from the 3-scale model, and we expect the effect upon the CMB and LSS to be small. Naturally all UETCs (scalar, vector, and tensor) are multiplied by the same time-dependent factor. This then propagates to the various eigenmodes.

It is crucial to notice that it is the comoving density, and not the physical density that enters the above scaling argument. The conversion factor between physical and comoving densities changes appreciably from the radiation to the matter epoch. Indeed for large $`\widehat{C}`$ it accounts for most of the drop in defect physical density, and as a result the strings’ comoving density (or $`\alpha (\tau )`$ plotted in figure 2) drops only by about 20% for large $`\widehat{C}`$. For small $`\widehat{C}`$ the comoving energy density actually increases as can be seen from figure 2.

We reran the codes used in  with these modifications (working throughout with large $`\widehat{C}`$), and with two purposes in mind: to compare the effects of neglecting the RM transition with approximations used by other groups, and to survey parameter space in cosmic string models.

## IV Results

We found that the effect of neglecting the RM transition is not very large, and certainly much smaller than the errors induced by using the Albrecht and Stebbins (AS) approximation  (or a variation thereof ). As suggested in , $`G\mu `$ normalized to COBE increases by a factor of the same order as the decrease in string density in the matter epoch. With standard parameters ($`\mathrm{\Omega }=1`$, $`\mathrm{\Omega }_\mathrm{\Lambda }=0`$, $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b=0.05`$ and $`H_0=50`$ km/s/Mpc) we found that $`G\mu `$ increases from $`1\times 10^6`$ to $`1.2\times 10^6`$ . The COBE normalized $`C_{\mathrm{}}`$ spectrum, in this cosmology, hardly changes at all. The bias in spheres with radius 100 Mpc $`h^1`$ changes from 4.9 to 4.2: the inclusion of the RM transition improves the bias problem of cosmic strings but not by much. The effect on the shape and normalization of $`P(k)`$ is plotted in Fig. 3. By contrast, using the AS approximation instead of a Boltzmann code (or one of its truncations ) induces large uncertainties in normalization and shape of $`P(k)`$. (We obtained the AS curves of Fig. 3 by replacing the variables $`\xi `$ and $`\chi `$ of  with the $`\xi `$ and $`\overline{\xi }`$ of the 3-scale model respectively.)

Although a small effect, only once the RM transition has been properly taken into account can we start exploring dependence on cosmological parameters. We considered $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$ and $`h`$, and solved for the $`C_{\mathrm{}}`$ and $`P(k)`$ on a grid with $`0.4<h<0.8`$ and $`0.01<\mathrm{\Omega }_bh^2<0.015`$. The latter satisfies nucleosynthesis constraints, the former accommodates currently accepted ranges of the Hubble parameter. In Figs. 4 and 5 we plot $`C_{\mathrm{}}`$ and $`P(k)`$ extracted from this grid to illustrate the observed variations. The $`C_{\mathrm{}}`$ spectrum of anisotropies induced by strings seems insensitive to $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$, but depends sensitively on $`h`$ (Fig. 4). In particular, local cosmic strings, unlike global defects, exhibit a Doppler peak, but only if the Hubble constant is not too large. The results of  are therefore not generic, but depend on the choice of $`h`$; indeed they are consistent with the results of  in which strings are directly coupled to a Boltzmann code. In that work it was found that strings do not have a Doppler peak, with $`h=0.8`$. Notice how the dependence of the $`C_{\mathrm{}}`$ on $`h`$ is non-linear, with a much larger jump from $`h=0.7`$ to $`h=0.8`$ than, say, from $`h=0.6`$ to $`h=0.7`$. The effect of both $`h`$ and $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$ upon the CDM power spectrum is very small if $`P(k)`$ is plotted using units of $`h`$/Mpc for wavenumbers (Fig. 5). This is in agreement with small $`k`$ analytical predictions (eg. ), but breaks down at large $`k`$ as can be seen by the diverging curves in Fig. 5. The string bias problem at 100 Mpc $`h^1`$ is clearly not solved by changing $`h`$ or $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$ (but see  for other solutions). Finally, recall that we have worked with large $`\widehat{C}`$. For small $`\widehat{C}`$’s the strings’ comoving energy density increases across the RM transition and the bias problem is in fact worse.

## V Conclusion

To summarize, in this paper we have studied the impact of GBR on cosmic string network evolution, and properly accounted for its properties during the RM transition. Not only did we suggest that this departure from scaling lasts longer than that obtained in other models, but we re-iterated the existence of two different scaling solutions. The full scaling solution is the relevant one for structure formation and cannot be observed in numerical simulations. 

These results, with large $`\widehat{C}`$, were then used to update the calculations of , and cut a first, safe slice through parameter space in string scenarios. Dependence on $`h`$ and $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$ was considered, the conclusions being that the CMB results are sensitive to $`h`$ but less so to $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$. If forthcoming experiments were to reveal a $`C_{\mathrm{}}`$ spectrum without secondary Doppler peaks—a tell-tale signal of a defect theory —then we would lose ability to determine $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$, since information on $`\mathrm{\Omega }_b`$ is hidden in the secondary Doppler peaks which are generically erased by incoherence, in defect scenarios. However, for $`h`$, our conclusions are more positive. Local strings exhibit a Doppler peak whose height we have demonstrated decreases quite sharply with an increasing Hubble constant.

Larger regions of parameter space require surveying. In particular as pointed out in refs , strings with a cosmological constant are a promising combination. However we feel that all treatments, including our own, become too qualitative to be reliable if curvature or $`\mathrm{\Lambda }`$ are present. Considerable analytical and numerical work with $`\mathrm{\Omega }_\mathrm{\Lambda }0`$, and in open models, is required before a more quantitative discussion is possible. The first step in the context of the method we are proposing here would be to include $`\mathrm{\Lambda }`$ into the 3-scale model.

## Acknowledgements

We thank Andy Albrecht, Anne Davis, Pedro Ferreira, Mark Hindmarsh, Tom Kibble and Neil Turok for useful discussions and comments. We acknowledge financial support from PPARC (E.J.C and D.A.S) and the Royal Society (J.M).