Summary
Symmetry-breaking phase transitions occur in many physical systems. In some of these systems, as the phase transition occurs, regions of space can become trapped in the wrong or unbroken phase. Examples include the vortices produced during the superfluid or superconducting phase transitions and also cosmic strings in the early universe. Such regions are called topological defects and give us an experimental handle on the non-equilibrium dynamics of the transition. MORE
Duration
Three years, from September 1997 to December 2000.
