Massive photons and Dirac monopoles: electric condensate and magnetic confinement

We use the generalized Julia-Toulouse approach (GJTA) for condensation of topological currents (charges or defects) to argue that massive photons can coexist consistently with Dirac monopoles. The Proca theory is obtained here via GJTA as a low energy effective theory describing an electric condensate and the mass of the vector boson is responsible for generating a Meissner effect which confines the magnetic defects in monopole-antimonopole pairs connected by physical open magnetic vortices described by Dirac brane invariants, instead of Dirac strings.Comment: 6 pages, version accepted for publication in Physics Letters

Dual approaches for defects condensation

We review two methods used to approach the condensation of defects phenomenon. Analyzing in details their structure, we show that in the limit where the defects proliferate until occupy the whole space these two methods are dual equivalent prescriptions to obtain an effective theory for the phase where the defects (like monopoles or vortices) are completely condensed, starting from the fundamental theory defined in the normal phase where the defects are diluted.Comment: 7 pages, major modifications. Version accepted for publication in Physics Letters

Brane Cosmic String Compactification in Brans-Dicke Theory

We investigate an alternative compactification of extra dimensions using local cosmic string in the Brans-Dicke gravity framework. In the context of dynamical systems it is possible to show that there exist a stable field configuration for the Einstein-Brans-Dicke equations. We explore the analogies between this particular model and the Randall-Sundrum scenario.Comment: RevTex, 5 pages, no figures. To appear in the Physical Review

Towards an hybrid compactification with a scalar-tensor global cosmic string

We derive a solution of the gravitational equations which leads to a braneworld scenario in six dimensions using a global cosmic string solution in a low energy effective string theory framework. The final spacetime is composed by one warped brane with $\mathbb{R}^{(3,1)}\times S^{1}$ topology and a power law warp factor, and one noncompact extra dimension transverse to the brane. By looking at the current experimental bounds, we find a range of parameters in which, if the on-brane dimension has an acceptable size, it does not solve the hierarchy problem. In another example this problem is smoothed by the Brans-Dicke parameter.Comment: RevTex, 7 pages. New version to be published in the JCAP (2008

Dilatonic, Current-Carrying Cosmic String

We study the implications of a scalar-tensorial gravity for the metric of an isolated self-gravitating superconducting cosmic string. These modifications are induced by an arbitrary coupling of a massless scalar field to the usual tensorial field in the gravitational Lagrangian. We derive the metric in the weak-field approximation and we analyse the behaviour of light in this spacetime. We end with some discussions.Comment: 12 pp, Latex, no figures, based on a talk given by M. E. X. Guimaraes at the COSMO 99, 27/9 to 02/10/99, ICTP, Trieste, I

On the duality in four-dimensional Lorentz-breaking field theories

We consider new issues of duality in four-dimensional Lorentz-breaking field theories. In particular, we demonstrate that the arising of the aether-like Lorentz-breaking term is necessary in order for the 4D models to display the duality analog between the MCS and self-dual models in 3D. We further study the dispersion relations in both theories and discuss the physical contents of the models involved in this new dualilty.Comment: 16 page