Vortices in Nonlinear Fields : From Liquid Crystals to Superfluids, from Non-equilibrium Patterns to Cosmic Strings

Although the behaviour of natural phenomena can be explained by a few simple and symmetric basic laws there is an astounding variety of possibilities. These are caused by a process known as symmetry breaking, and vortices are one of the most common manifestations. This book concentrates on the dynamics of vortices in various contexts and gives a unified view of the underlying phenomena.