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Article Contents

ABSTRACT

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1.How defects form

1.2.Phase transitions and finite temperature field theory

1.3.The Kibble mechanism

1.4.A survey of topological defects

1.5.Conditions for their existence: topological criteria

2.DEFECTS IN THE UNIVERSE

2.1.Local and global monopoles and domain walls

2.2.Are defects inflated away?

2.3.Cosmic strings

2.4.String loops and scaling

2.5.Global textures

2.6.Evolution of global textures

3.CURRENTS ALONG STRINGS

3.1.Goto--Nambu Strings

3.2.Witten strings

3.3.Superconducting strings !

3.4.Macroscopic string description

3.5.The dual formalism

3.6.The Future of the Loops

4.STRUCTURE FORMATION FROM DEFECTS

4.1.Cosmic strings

4.2.Textures

5.CMB SIGNATURES FROM DEFECTS

5.1.CMB power spectrum from strings

5.2.CMB bispectrum from active models

5.3.CMB bispectrum from strings

5.4.CMB polarization

6.VARIA

6.1.Astrophysical footprints

6.2.Cosmology in the Lab

6.3.Gravitational waves from strings

6.4.More cosmological miscellanea

REFERENCES