Constraints on the cosmic string loop collapse fraction from primordial black holes

A small fraction, f , of cosmic string loops can collapse to form Primordial Black Holes (PBHs). Constraints on the abundance of PBHs can therefore be used to constrain f. We update these calculations, taking into account the PBH extended mass function, and find f < 10 −31 (Gµ/c 2) ^−3/2. This is roughly one order of magnitude tighter than previous constraints. The improvement from the tighter constraints on the abundance of PBHs is partly offset by refinements to the theoretical calculation of the cosmic string loop formation rate