Predicting cusps or kinks in Nambu–Goto dynamics

Abstract

It is known that Nambu–Goto extended objects present some pathological structures, such as cusps and kinks, during their evolution. In this paper, we propose a model through the generalized Raychaudhuri (Rh) equation for membranes to determine if there are cusps and kinks in the worldsheet. We extend the generalized Rh equation for membranes to allow the study of the effect of higher order curvature terms in the action on the issue of cusps and kinks, using it as a tool for determining when a Nambu–Goto string generates cusps or kinks in its evolution. Furthermore, we present three examples where we test graphically this approach.