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We explore a variety of composite topological structures that arise from the spontaneous breaking of SO(10) to SU(3)c× U(1)em via one of its maximal subgroups SU(5) × U(1)χ, SU(4)c× SU(2)L× SU(2)R, and SU(5) × U(1)X (also known as flipped SU(5)). They include i) a network of ℤ strings which develop monopoles and turn into necklaces with the structure of ℤ2 strings, ii) dumbbells connecting two different types of monopoles, or monopoles and antimonpoles, iii) starfish-like configurations, iv) polypole configurations, and v) walls bounded by a necklace. We display these structures both before and after the electroweak breaking. The appearance of these composite structures in the early universe and their astrophysical implications including gravitational wave emission would depend on the symmetry breaking patterns and scales, and the nature of the associated phase transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider magnetic monopoles and strings that appear in non-supersymmetric SO(10) and E6 grand unified models paying attention to gauge coupling unification and proton decay in a variety of symmetry breaking schemes. The dimensionless string tension parameter Gμ spans the range 10−6− 10−30, where G is Newton’s constant and μ is the string tension. We show how intermediate scale monopoles with mass ∼ 1013− 1014 GeV and flux ≲ 2.8 × 10−16 cm−2s−1sr−1, and cosmic strings with Gμ ∼ 10−11− 10−10 survive inflation and are present in the universe at an observable level. We estimate the gravity wave spectrum emitted from cosmic strings taking into account inflation driven by a Coleman-Weinberg potential. The tensor-to-scalar ratio r lies between 0.06 and 0.003 depending on the details of the inflationary scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflationary models with a superheavy scale F-term hybrid inflation followed by an intermediate scale modular inflation are considered. The restrictions on the power spectrum $P_{\mathcal R}$ of curvature perturbation and the spectral index ns from the recent data within the power-law cosmological model with cold dark matter and a cosmological constant can be met provided that the number of e-foldings NHI* suffered by the pivot scale k* = 0.002/Mpc during hybrid inflation is suitably restricted. The additional e-foldings needed for solving the horizon and flatness problems are generated by modular inflation with a string axion as inflaton. For central values of $P_{\mathcal R}$ and ns, the grand unification scale comes out, in the case of standard hybrid inflation, close to its supersymmetric value MGUT ≃ 2.86 × 1016GeV, the relevant coupling constant is relatively large (≈ 0.005 – 0.14), and 10 ≲ NHI* ≲ 21.7. In the shifted [smooth] hybrid inflation case, the grand unification scale can be identified with MGUT for NHI* ≃ 21 [NHI* ≃ 18]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We employ a variety of symmetry breaking patterns in SO(10) and E6 Grand Unified Theories to demonstrate the appearance of topological defects including magnetic monopoles, strings, and necklaces. We show that independent of the symmetry breaking pattern, a topologically stable superheavy monopole carrying a single unit of Dirac charge as well as color magnetic charge is always present. Lighter intermediate mass topologically stable monopoles carrying two or three quanta of Dirac charge can appear in SO(10) and E6 models respectively. These lighter monopoles as well as topologically stable intermediate scale strings can survive an inflationary epoch. We also show the ap- pearance of a novel necklace configuration in SO(10) broken to the Standard Model via SU(4)c × SU(2)L × SU(2)R. It consists of SU(4)c and SU(2)R monopoles connected by flux tubes. Necklaces consisting of monopoles and antimonopoles joined together by flux tubes are also identified. Even in the absence of topologically stable strings, a monopole-string system can temporarily appear. This system decays by emitting gravity waves and we provide an example in which the spectrum of these waves is strongly peaked around 10−4 Hz with Ωqwh2 ≃10−12. This spectrum should be within the detection capability of LISA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show how hybrid inflation can be successfully realized in a supersymmetric model with gauge group GPS = SU(4)c × SU(2)L × SU(2)R. By including a non-renormalizable superpotential term, we generate an inflationary valley along which GPS is broken to the standard model gauge group. Thus, catastrophic production of the doubly charged magnetic monopoles, which are predicted by the model, cannot occur at the end of inflation. The results of the cosmic background explorer can be reproduced with natural values (of order 10−3) of the relevant coupling constant, and symmetry breaking scale of GPS of the order of 1016 GeV. The spectral index of density perturbations lies between unity and 0.9. Moreover, the μ-term is generated via a Peccei-Quinn symmetry and proton is practically stable. Baryogenesis in the universe takes place via leptogenesis. The low deuterium abundance constraint on the baryon asymmetry, the gravitino limit on the reheat temperature and the requirement of almost maximal νμ−ντ mixing from SUPER-KAMIOKANDE can be simultaneously met with mνμ, mντ and heaviest Dirac neutrino mass determined from the large angle MSW resolution of the solar neutrino problem, the SUPER-KAMIOKANDE results and SU(4)c symmetry respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]