Clustering of cosmic string loops

Observational effects of cosmic string loops depend on how loops are distributed in space. Chernoff [1] has argued that loops can be gravitationally captured in galaxies and that for sufficiently small values of Gμ their distribution follows that of dark matter, independently of the loop's length. We re-analyze this issue using the spherical model of galaxy formation with full account taken of the gravitational rocket effect—loop accelerated motion due to asymmetric emission of gravitational waves. We find that only loops greater than a certain size are captured and that the number of captured loops is orders of magnitude smaller than estimated by Chernoff.