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Revisiting the VOS model for monopoles

L. Sousa, P. P. Avelino

Abstract
We revisit the physical properties of global and local monopoles and discuss their implications in the dynamics of monopole networks. In particular, we review the Velocity-dependent One-Scale (VOS) model for global and local monopoles and propose physically motivated changes to its equations. We suggest a new form for the acceleration term of the evolution equation of the root-mean-squared velocity and show that, with this change, the VOS model is able to describe the results of radiation and matter era numerical simulations of global monopole networks with a single value of the acceleration parameter k, thus resolving the tension previously found in the literature. We also show that the fact that the energy of global monopoles is not localized within their cores affects their dynamics and, thus, the Hubble damping terms in the VOS equations. We study the ultra-relativistic linear scaling regime predicted by the VOS equations and demonstrate that it cannot be attained either on radiation or matter eras and, thus, cannot arise from the cosmological evolution of a global monopole network. We also briefly discuss the implications of our findings for the VOS model for local monopoles.

Keywords
Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Physical Review D
Volume 96, Issue 2, Page 8
2017 July

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Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia COMPETE 2020 PORTUGAL 2020 União Europeia