- #1
SF
controversial new study indicates that there are traces of vast cosmic strings left over in radiation from the early universe. If indeed confirmed to be real, these cosmic strings would offer an unprecedented window into the extreme physics of origins of the universe.
The idea is that snags in the fabric of space may have developed a fraction of a second after the universe's birth. This would have likely occurred at the end of the period called inflation when the universe was rapidly expanding.
These “snags” are thought to be shaped like very slender strings, with a thickness much less than the width of an atom but with lengths that can be measured in light years. They would also be incredibly heavy. A section just a kilometer long would potentially have as much mass as the entire Earth.
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/01/traces-of-mythi.html
The idea is that snags in the fabric of space may have developed a fraction of a second after the universe's birth. This would have likely occurred at the end of the period called inflation when the universe was rapidly expanding.
These “snags” are thought to be shaped like very slender strings, with a thickness much less than the width of an atom but with lengths that can be measured in light years. They would also be incredibly heavy. A section just a kilometer long would potentially have as much mass as the entire Earth.
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/01/traces-of-mythi.html