Superheavy metastable strings in SO(10)

Abstract The spontaneous breaking of SO(10) grand unified symmetry to SU(3) c × SU(2) L × U(1) Y × U(1) χ yields the GUT monopole as well as a comparably heavy U(1) χ monopole which also carries U(1) Y flux. A metastable string scenario in this case requires that the U(1) χ symmetry is necessarily b...

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Main Authors: Rinku Maji, Qaisar Shafi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-06-01
Series:Journal of High Energy Physics
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP06(2025)217
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author Rinku Maji
Qaisar Shafi
author_facet Rinku Maji
Qaisar Shafi
author_sort Rinku Maji
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The spontaneous breaking of SO(10) grand unified symmetry to SU(3) c × SU(2) L × U(1) Y × U(1) χ yields the GUT monopole as well as a comparably heavy U(1) χ monopole which also carries U(1) Y flux. A metastable string scenario in this case requires that the U(1) χ symmetry is necessarily broken close to the GUT scale, thus resulting in a dimensionless string tension Gμ ~ 10 −6. We show that the χ monopole does not carry any unconfined flux following the electroweak symmetry breaking. Coupled with Gμ ~ 10 −6, this metastable string network appears to provide a good fit to the recent Pulsar Timing Array data on the stochastic gravitational background. Gauge coupling unification, especially in the presence of low scale supersymmetry, determines the GUT scale and, in combination with constraints from proton decay experiments, one is able to constrain some of the key parameters in this setup. The breaking of SO(10) via SU(5) × U(1) χ also yields superheavy metastable strings with no unconfined flux associated with the monopoles. Finally, we consider SO(10) breaking via SU(4) c × SU(2) L × U(1) R , SU(3) c × SU(2) L × SU(2) R × U(1) B−L and flipped SU(5) that yield metastable strings where the associated monopoles carry unconfined flux after the electroweak breaking.
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spelling doaj-art-6a863618935d4fdbbe86e81eefe2d5dc2025-08-20T04:01:42ZengSpringerOpenJournal of High Energy Physics1029-84792025-06-012025611310.1007/JHEP06(2025)217Superheavy metastable strings in SO(10)Rinku Maji0Qaisar Shafi1Cosmology, Gravity and Astroparticle Physics Group, Center for Theoretical Physics of the Universe, Institute for Basic ScienceBartol Research Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of DelawareAbstract The spontaneous breaking of SO(10) grand unified symmetry to SU(3) c × SU(2) L × U(1) Y × U(1) χ yields the GUT monopole as well as a comparably heavy U(1) χ monopole which also carries U(1) Y flux. A metastable string scenario in this case requires that the U(1) χ symmetry is necessarily broken close to the GUT scale, thus resulting in a dimensionless string tension Gμ ~ 10 −6. We show that the χ monopole does not carry any unconfined flux following the electroweak symmetry breaking. Coupled with Gμ ~ 10 −6, this metastable string network appears to provide a good fit to the recent Pulsar Timing Array data on the stochastic gravitational background. Gauge coupling unification, especially in the presence of low scale supersymmetry, determines the GUT scale and, in combination with constraints from proton decay experiments, one is able to constrain some of the key parameters in this setup. The breaking of SO(10) via SU(5) × U(1) χ also yields superheavy metastable strings with no unconfined flux associated with the monopoles. Finally, we consider SO(10) breaking via SU(4) c × SU(2) L × U(1) R , SU(3) c × SU(2) L × SU(2) R × U(1) B−L and flipped SU(5) that yield metastable strings where the associated monopoles carry unconfined flux after the electroweak breaking.https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP06(2025)217Cosmology of Theories BSMGrand UnificationEarly Universe Particle PhysicsPhase Transitions in the Early Universe
spellingShingle Rinku Maji
Qaisar Shafi
Superheavy metastable strings in SO(10)
Journal of High Energy Physics
Cosmology of Theories BSM
Grand Unification
Early Universe Particle Physics
Phase Transitions in the Early Universe
title Superheavy metastable strings in SO(10)
title_full Superheavy metastable strings in SO(10)
title_fullStr Superheavy metastable strings in SO(10)
title_full_unstemmed Superheavy metastable strings in SO(10)
title_short Superheavy metastable strings in SO(10)
title_sort superheavy metastable strings in so 10
topic Cosmology of Theories BSM
Grand Unification
Early Universe Particle Physics
Phase Transitions in the Early Universe
url https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP06(2025)217
work_keys_str_mv AT rinkumaji superheavymetastablestringsinso10
AT qaisarshafi superheavymetastablestringsinso10