We study the classical solutions of bosonic superconducting strings for quartic and Coleman-Weinberg effective potentials. We map the parameter space of solutions, and discuss and quantify back reaction of the charged condensate upon the vortex. We address the issue of the critical current and the quench transition. We consider static loop configurations in which electromagnetic stresses balance the loop string tension. Such static loops are shown to exist only in a very small region of the parameter space. We also give accurate results for the energy per length of a nonsuperconducting gauged string for arbitrary ratio of Higgs-boson to vector mass.

• Received 26 May 1987

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.37.263