Weak resistance in superconducting cosmic strings

Abstract

We discuss how gauge interactions between fermionic charge carriers on superconducting cos- mic strings can lead to an effective string resistance and dissipation of energy from the current. We also examine possible astrophysical implications. We find that these processes are quite important for grand-unified gauge-boson exchange, when the charge carriers are heavy fermions. In many cases they lead to very restrictive limits on the current that superconducting strings can attain.