Topological Defects and the Non-Equilibrium Dynamics of Symmetry Breaking Phase Transitions - NATO Science Series C 2000 edition

Marc Notes: Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Topological Defects and the Non-Equilibrium Dynamics of Symmetry Breaking Phase Transitions, Les Houches, France, 16-26 February 1999--T.p. verso.; Includes bibliographical references and indexes. Table of Contents: Preface. Dictionary: Condensed matter - High energy physics & cosmology; G. E. Volovik. Classification of topological defects and their relevance to cosmology and elsewhere; T. W. B. Kibble. The Normal and Superfluid States of Liquid 3He; A. J. Leggett. Formation, interaction and observation of topological defects; T. Vachaspati. Shards of broken symmetry: topological defects as traces of the phase transition dynamics; W. H. Zurek, et al. The Grenoble' cosmological experiment: The Kibble-Zurek scenario in superfluid 3He; C. Bauerle, et al. Aurore de Venise' - Cosmological scenario of the A-B phase transition in superfluid 3He; Y. M. Bunkov. Non-equilibrium phase transitions in condensed matter and cosmology: spinodal decomposition, condensates and defects; D. Boyanovsky, et al. Defect formation through boson condensation in quantum field theory; G. Vitiello. Magnetic monopoles and vortices in the standard model of electroweak interactions; A. Achucarro. Time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory and duality; A. M. J. Schakel. Broken Symmetry and Nonequilibrium Superfluid 3He: Circular Birefringence of Propagating Transverse Currents; J. A. Sauls. Relativistic dynamics of vortex defects in superfluids; B. Carter. Nucleation and pinning of vortices in 4He; E. Varoquaux. Topolotical defects in 3He superfluids; V. B. Eltsov, M. Krusius. Regular vortex production by a moving wire in superfluid 3He-B; D. I. Bradley, G. R. Pickett. 3He and Universe parallelism; G. E. Volovik. Authors Index. Subject Index."Publisher Marketing: Topological defects formed at symmetric phase transitions play an important role in many different fields of physics. They appear in many condensed matter systems at low temperature, including vortices in superfluid He-4, defects in He-3, quantized magnetic flux tubes in type-II superconductors, and disclination lines and other defects in liquid crystals. In cosmology, unified gauge theories of particle interactions suggest a sequence of phase transitions in the very early universe, some of which may lead to defect formation. In astrophysics, defects play an important role in the dynamics of neutron stars. The present book begins with a condensed matter - high energy & cosmology dictionary which gives a common basis to ideas pertaining to these branches of modern physics. The following papers, written by experts in their respective fields, provide the fundamental concepts of symmetry-breaking phase transitions. The book represents the fruits of an exchange of ideas between particle physicists, cosmologists and condensed matter physicists.