Variational study of ordinary and superconducting cosmic strings

A variational approach is used to study Abelian vortices, both the ordinary and bosonic superconducting variety. Accurate results are presented for the energy per length. For superconducting strings the parameter space of solutions is mapped out, the critical current is quantified, the quench transition is studied, and the possibility of static solutions is investigated where electromagnetic stresses balance the string tension. 13 refs., 2 figs