Class. Quantum Grav. 4 (1987) 1-9.

Printed in the U K

Generalised cosmic strings

J A G Vickers
Department of Mathematics, University of Southampton, Southampton SO9 5 N H , U K Received 30 April 1986, in final form 2 June 1986 Abstract. It is shown that two-dimensional and timelike elementary quasi-regular singularities provide a generalised version of the usual cosmic strings. The properties of such generalised cosmic strings are investigated and it is shown in particular that they are totally geodesic submanifolds on which the mass density p is constant.

1. Introduction

Recently there has been interest in cosmic strings produced by phase transitions in the early universe [ l , 21 a n d the cosmological consequences of the existence of such strings have been considered by a number of authors [3,4]. Most of the attention has focused on cosmic strings which have a metric of the form d s 2 = d t 2- d r 2 - A2r2dt12- d z 2
(1)

where 0 s 0 < 27r. Such spacetimes may be considered as the limit of spacetimes with a source consisting of stressed filaments lying along a tube parallel to the z axis [S, 61 or in terms of the distribution-valued curvature formalism [7] as a spacetime whose non-vanishing energy-momentum tensor components are

a n d where

a n d .S2 is a two-dimensional delta function with support on the r = 0 axis. (Note that with a slight abuse of notation some authors write 2v&= p t j ( r ) / r where 6 ( r ) is the ordinary Dirac delta function.) The metric d s 2 = d r 2 + A2r2d e 2 is just the metric of an ordinary two-dimensional cone a n d we therefore refer to the spacetime with metric given by (1) as a conical spacetime. By changing to the angular coordinate e = A0 we may write (1) in the form d s 2 = d t 2 - d r 2 - r2 d 0 - d z 2
(3)

where 0 s e < 27rA = a, say. This form of the metric shows that the spacetime is locally Minkowskian but this is not true globally d u e to the presence of a singularity at r = O which has the effect of focusing geodesics for 0 < A < 1. Of course this is exactly what one would expect if one naively viewed (3) as being obtained by gluing together a portion of Minkowski space with angle a (see figure 1). As one approaches the singularity of a conical
0264-9381/87/010001+09$02.50
@ 1987 IOP Publishing Ltd

J A G Vickers

Figure 1. Geodesics on an opened out cone.

spacetime one has no warning that one is about to hit it since the curvature is well behaved in the region of the singularity (in fact in this case it vanishes). Such singularities have a topological nature and are known as quasi-regular singularities [8]. A quasi-regular singularity is one which may not be removed simply by extending the spacetime ( a regular singularity) but has the property that the curvature tensor components Rahcd when measured in a parallelly propagated frame { E ( s)} tend to (s)
I

a well-defined limit along all curves y ( F ) ending at the singularity. The cosmic string given by (1) is therefore just a particular example of a quasi-regular singularity. The cosmic string described by a conical spacetime is an example of a spacetime in which all the curvature is contained in the singularity. However if one wants to consider cosmic strings in a n expanding universe or the interaction of strings with one another a n d the surrounding matter, including the effects of the gravitational radiation, it becomes necessary to consider cosmic strings in curved spacetimes. In this paper we will show how elementary quasi-regular singularities provide a suitable generalisation of cosmic strings to certain curved spacetimes and investigate the properties of such singularities. In particular it will be shown that such generalised cosmic strings are totally geodesic submanifolds on which the mass density p is constant. The same methods may be used to show that a general two-dimensional and timelike quasi-regular singularity is a generalised cosmic string. In a subsequent paper we will consider this general case and show that they too are totally geodesic submanifolds on which the mass density is constant.

2. Cosmic strings and isometries

The conical spacetime (1) may be thought of as arising from identifying points which are related by a rotation about the z axis through a n angle cu rather than through the usual angle 2 r , the fixed point set of the rotation forming a cosmic string. More precisely we start with Minkowski space in cylindrical polar coordinates, delete the { r = 0 ) two plane, pass to the covering space a n d then identify points of the form (t, r, q kcu, z ) with ( t , r, 4, z ) for k E Z. This procedure is readily generalised to any 5 spacetime ( M , g ) which admits an isometry f : M -+ M ( f * g = g ) with some fixed point set F = {x E M : f ( x ) = x}. One proceeds as follows: ( i ) start with the spacetime ( M , g), (ii) remove the fixed point set F to obtain (M\F, g),

Generalised cosmic strings

(iii) pass to the univecsalAcoveTingspace ( k , g) (iv) l i f t f : M + M t o f : M + M , (v) identify points in ( k , related by g*) (vi) if necessary remove some points to make the resulting space Hausdorff, (vii) end with (A?, E) a space with a quasi-regularity singularity on F. This technique is just a special case of a method due to Ellis a n d Schmidt [8] which provides a n easy way of constructing spacetimes containing quasi-regular singularities from spacetimes with symmetries. We call such singularities 'elementary' quasi-regular singularities. In the next section we will show that if the original spacetime ( M , g ) was a vacuum solution to Einstein's equations, then the resulting spacetime (G,g) is also a vacuum solution to Einstein's equations but with a delta function like energymomentum tensor on F.

3. Singularities and holonomy The example of the conical spacetime (1) shows that the presence of curvature in a singularity may be detected by the effect it has on geodesic congruences. An equivalent way of measuring this effect is in terms of parallel translation round a closed loop surrounding the singularity, i.e. in terms of holonomy. We start with a two-dimensional example. Let ( M , g ) be a two-dimensional Riemannian manifold with rotational symmetry about some point xo. Then there exists a one-parameter family of isometries fa : M + M (where f a represents a rotation through a about Xg) with fixed point set {x~}.Let O < (Y < 27r a n d let (6, the space obtained by identifying points in the g) be universal covering space equivalent under f a , This space has a quasi-regular singularity at xg which we show may be thought of as a point where the curvature has a delta-function-like singularity. For a regular two-dimensional Riemannian manifold one has by the Gauss-Bonnett theorem the following expression for the integral of Gaussian curvature K over some region U homeomorphic to a disc:

1"
r-n

K da=27r-

I"

(4)

where K~ is the geodesic curvature. The term on the left is known as the integrated curvature. When the space contains quasi-regular singularities we will regard equation (4) as defining the total integrated curvature within aU, including the curvature due to the singularities. Let ( r , e) be geodesic polar coordinates for ( M , g) with xg as origin a n d U, be the disc radius r centre xo. Then, since xu is a regular point of ( M , g ) , liml
U,

Kda=O

and thus

v 2

IC?",
K~

d s = 27r.

If one denotes the corresponding objects for lim

r-o

(G,g) by k, l&

etc, one has

J act Kg d f = lim J au,

1-0

K~

-d s = (Y

cy

27

a n d thus by equation (4)

r

J A G Vickers

One also has d 5 = a/27rr d r d e + O ( r * ) , that so

k, the 'singular' part of I?, is given by

where

lV

f8, d a = {(xO)

for any set V containing x0 otherwise.

by

Thus the curvature of (&

g) is given

In order to generalise this result to a four-dimensional spacetime we give a geometric interpretation to the right-hand side of equation (4).Let y : [0, 11+ M be a parametrisation of dU with y ( 0 ) = y(1). Let { E } a = l , be an orthonormal basis at y(0) and E ( t ) 2
a
a

the result of parallel propagation along y. Then E(1) = L:E(O) where

a
h

and

p = 2%-- a, [

K~

ds

i.e. the right-hand side of equation (4)is just the angle the frame is rotated through as a result of parallel propagation around dU. Thus by using equation (6) we may write equation (4)in the equivalent form L=exp

I,;
")
0
'

(7)

where s2 is the curvature 2-form with components

a=(- K O

In this way we may regard the Gauss-Bonnett theorem as giving a relationship between an element of the holonomy group and the integrated curvature. For a loop containing a regular point L t I as the loop shrinks down ont? the point, but for a loop containing the point x0 in ( M , g) it follows from the way ( M ,g) was constructed that L+ L o , a rotation through 257 - cy, as the loop shrinks down. Thus from equation ( 7 )
lim
r-0

E
6,

d5=2%--a

and again

I?

=K

+ ( 27 ) a2 ~ 8 , . n-

Generalised cosmic strings

In the four-dimensional case we will use the appropriate generalisation of ( 7 ) , rather than the usual version of a Gauss-Bonnett theorem (4), in order to relate the integrals of the full four-dimensional curvature to elements of the holonomy group. We will illustrate the ideas by considering the case of a spacetime with rotational symmetry about some axis. Let ( M , g) be an axisymmetric spacetime with axis F, so that there exists a one-parameter family of isometriesfl, : M + M leaving F invariant. Let (G, i) be the spacetime P b t a i n e d by identifying points in the universal covering space equivalent under Ll where a E (0,277) is some constant. Then this spacetime has a quasi-regular singularity on the surface F which we now show may be regarded as a generalised cosmic string. (These are just the type 11, singularities of Ellis a n d Schmidt [8].) Let xo be a point on F. Then we may introduce 'geodesic cylindrical polar coordinates' (t, r, 0, z ) in a neighbourhood of xo with the following properties: (i) the rotational symmetry is generated by a l a 0 a n d the fixed point set is given by r = 0 , (ii) (t,r,6+2k7r,z)=(t,r,8,z) k E Z , (iii) the curves t = 0 , z=O, O=constant are geodesics with affine parameter r, ending at xo, and with tangents orthogonal to F. Let y : [ 1 , O ) + M be the curve y ( I ) = ( 0 , r, 0,O). By choosing a pseudo-orthonormal frame at y(1) and parallelly propagating it along y we may define a frame field r(r ) = { E ( r)}",, along y. Furthermore by choosing r(1) appropriately a n d by imposing
a

additional conditions on the t a n d

i '

coordinates we may arrange that

p,+,
to define E( r,
a

a
fir'+;

and

E(r)+4

dZ

as r + O .
t = 0, z = 0

We now parallelly propagate E( r ) around the loops r = constant,

a

in order

e). This in turn enables us to define a Lorentz transformation

E(r,27r)=L",r)E(r,O).
U

L$(r ) , the

element of holonomy generated by the loop r = constant, by

It follows from the results in the appendix that the appropriate generalisation of equation (7) is

L ( r )= P, exp(
6,

h d6)

(9)

( a , 6, c, etc, being frame indices), fir,,= a n d Y are unit vectors in the r a n d 6' directions respectively a n d P, exp denotes a n r-path ordered exponential. O n the other hand, it follows from the way (A?, g') has been constructed that as r + 0, L( r ) -+ L where L describes a rotation through p = 27r - 0: about the z axis. Thus where
{x E

G : = 0, t = 0, r < ro}, X z

fi' h - k u h ' d X c Y d

1 0

0 cosp -sinp

sinp cosp

= exp

-p

0 .

J A G Vickers

In the limit as r + O the path ordered exponential becomes an ordinary exponential a n d we obtain
c c

lim Iim r 1- 0

J0, J

Cl: d 6 = lim
r-0

J ISJ
c c

R,,,

= ,8 =27r - cy. p = 27r

0,

One also has d 6 = c ~ / 2 r r r r dB + O ( r 2 ) and thus R2,zi, the singular part of d given by

k232,, is

Rz,,,

= (+)ZTS2. 97-cy

Parallel transport around any loop not containing F gives the identity Lorentz transformation as the size of the loop is shrunk to zero and thus E,,, , and components related by the obvious symmetries, are the only parts of the curvature with a singular part. The regular part of the curvature is of course unchanged under the identification by the isometry. If one now calculates the Einstein tensor a n d applies the field equations e a - Sn-GfE, one finds that the only non-zero parts of the energy-momentum tensor b are

where
P

1 = ( a . , - )
297-cy

(fi, may thus be regarded as a spacetime with a distribution valued curvature which g) satisfies the vacuum Einstein equations apart from a line source which has the same energy-momentum components as the usual cosmic string, a n d we therefore regard the singularity as a generalised cosmic string. It is important to note that the only feature of the (fi, which was important in the above argument was the existence g) of a non-trivial holonomy group associated with the singularity, namely one generated by a rotation through 297 - cy about the direction of the singularity. In fact it is possible to show [9] that a general two-dimensional and timelike quasi-regular singularity has such a holonomy group associated to it and therefore also has energy-momentum tensor given by equation (1 1). Conversely one can show that any distributional solution of Einsteins equations with energy-momentum tensor a line source given by equation (1l ) , and the regular part of the curvature sufficiently well behaved, must be a spacetime containing a quasi-regular singularity. The details of this are somewhat complicated and will be dealt with separately in a future paper [lo]. So far we have dealt with a holonomy group generated by a rotation, but by making identifications under a boost or null rotation one can obtain elementary quasi-regular singularities with holonomy group generated by a boost o r null rotation. These are again spacetimes with distributional valued curvature but the corresponding distributional energy-momentum tensor is unphysical in these cases since it fails to satisfy the weak energy condition. Thus two-dimensional timelike quasi-regular singularities in general, and the elementary examples constructed in 9 2 in particular, provide the required generalisations of cosmic strings. In the next section we will examine some of the properties of elementary quasi-regular singularities, regarded as generalised cosmic strings.

Generalised cosmic strings 4. Properties of generalised cosmic strings

The most important property of an elementary quasi-regular singularity is that it is the fixed point set of an isometry and this in turn means that it forms a totally geodesic submanifold as shown by the proposition below [ 111. Proposition. Let f : + M be an isometry with fixed point set F, then F is a totally M geodesic submanifold of M.

Proof: (We give a slightly adapted version of the proof in [ 111.) Let x E F and consider D, f:T,M + T,,,,M = T,M. We define D F = { V E T , M : D , f ( V )= V } to be the fixed point set of the derived mapping. Now let DU be a neighbourhood of the origin in the T,M such that exp, : DU + M is one-to-one and let U = exp,( D U ) . Then it is easy to see that U n F = exp, ( D U n D F ) . Let y ( f ) be some curve in M with y ( 0 ) = x a n d X ( t ) a parallel vector field along y , then since f is a n isometry f * ( X ) is parallel along f ( y ) . Now let y be some curve in F and choose X ( 0 ) E DF, thenf( y ) = y and ( f * ( X ) ) ( O = X ( 0 )so by the uniqueness of parallel ) translation f , ( X ) = X . Thus X ( t ) is in the fixed point set o f f * for any point on y. However, the fixed point set is tangent to F so that a vector initially tangent to F remains tangent to F under parallel translation along y. F is thus a n autoparallel submanifold of M , a n d hence a totally geodesic submanifold of M.
The importance of the above result is that it imposes considerable constraints on the dynamics of a generalised cosmic string. A related constraint involves the holonomy of an elementary quasi-regular singularity which is generated by a rotation through the same angle 2 7 -~ y for all points on the singularity and hence the mass density p c is constant. When one considers possible interactions of cosmic strings one can extend this result to prove a 'conservation of holonomy' theorem. In the ( 2 + 1)-dimensional setting this is equivalent to the Bianchi identities of Regge calculus or the conservation of the momentum of a system of gravitating point particles [12]. In the ( 3 + 1 ) dimensional case where the holonomy group is no longer Abelian it is hoped to interpret this result as a conservation of momentum for interacting cosmic strings (see [ 101 for further details). Appendix. The relationship between integrated curvature and holonomy In this appendix we relate the effect of parallel propagation around some closed curve y to the integral of the curvature over some spanning 2-surface U with boundary aU = y. We parametrise U by means of the following function. Let 4 : [0, l ] ? + M be a smooth map such that (i) 4 , : [0, 1 ] + M , defined by 4 , ( s )= +(s, t ) is a closed loop, (ii) 4 ( 1 ~ )U, + , ( I ) = ~ u , = (iii) &( t ) = constant = xo. Now let U" be some orthonormal frame at 4(0,1). We parallelly propagate this frame along s = 0 a n d then around t = constant to obtain a lift & of 4. That is, & : [0, 112+ L M is a smooth m a p such that (i) (ii)
&CO, 1) = U0
T O & ' = +

J A G Vickers
(iii)

+*($)I

d(n. o

)=o

-(.*(:))=o

where w is the connection form on the bundle of orthonormal frames LM. We now use 4 to determine the element of the holonomy group obtained by parallel propagation round y r = 4 r ( ) by defining L( t ) E 2: according to I

L ( t ) 4 ( 0 ,t ) = .(I,

t)

or
L;( t)E(O, t ) = F(1, t )
a

where

6(s, t ) = { E ( $ ,t ) > 2 = = , . We have from equation (A6) in [6]

Lr(t,)i2h(s,t ) d s d t ,
where

Solving the integral equation ( A l ) by repeated iteration we obtain

x . . . R:;(s, t , ) f l > ( s , t , ) d s dt,.

. . dt,

o r suppressing indices

where : : indicates that the expression should be ordered so that terms with a smaller t value precede those with a higher t value. Without the ordering (A2) would simply be the exponential of

I'

+(I2)

We therefore write (A2) formally as

where PI exp denotes the t-ordered path exponential defined by (A2). Note that as a consequence of the Bianchi identities and the generalised Stokes' theorem the righthand side of (14) is independent of the choice of spanning surface U and M only depends on y = d U.

Generalised cosmic strings

References
[I] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [lo] [ll] [12]

Kibble T W B 1976 J . Phys. A: Marh. Gen. 9 1387 Vilenkin A 1981 Phpy. Reo. D 24 2082 Vilenkin A 1981 Phys. Reo. Letr. 46 1169 Zeldovich Y B 1980 Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 192 663 Marder L 1959 Proc. R. Soc. A 252 45 Vickers J A G 1985 Class. Quantum Grav. 2 755 Linet B 1985 Gen. Re/. Grav. 17 1109 Ellis G F R a n d Schmidt B G 1977 Gen. Rel. Grav. 8 915 Vickers J A G 1980 D h l thesis University of York Pi Vickers J A G Quasi-Regular singularities and Cosmic Strings in preparation Kobayshi S a n d Nomizu K 1969 Foundations ofDifSerentia1 Geomerry ( N e w York: Interscience) ch VI1 RoEek M a n d Williams R M 1985 Class. Q u a n f u m Grav. 2 701