A controversial 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.
Now a team of scientists says there is some valid evidence that these elusive and exotic strings really do exist. They claim that traces of cosmic strings can be detected in the afterglow of the big bang. Neil Bevis of Imperial College London and his team used the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite to observe radiation called the cosmic microwave background.
This radiation is slightly patchy because of the distribution of the glowing matter that produced it. If present, cosmic strings should attract matter with their gravity, slightly altering the way it is distributed in the early universe.
more:
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/10/have-traces-of.html#more
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