Cosmic string structure at the gravitational radiation scale

Abstract

We use our model of the small scale structure on cosmic strings to develop further the result of Siemens, Olum, and Vilenkin that the gravitational radiation length scale on cosmic strings is smaller than the previously assumed $\ensuremath{\Gamma}G\ensuremath{\mu}t$. We discuss some of the properties of cosmic string loops at this cutoff scale, and we argue that recent network simulations point to two populations of cosmic string loops, one near the horizon scale and one near the gravitational radiation cutoff.