Z(3) STRINGS AND THEIR INTERACTIONS - ART. NO. 065011

We construct Z(3) vortex solutions in a model in which SU(3) is sponta neously broken to Z(3). The model is truncated to one in which there a re only two dimensionless free parameters and the interaction of vorti ces within this restricted set of models is studied numerically. We fm d that there is a curve in the two dimensional space of parameters for which the energy of two asymptotically separated vortices equals the energy of the vortices at vanishing separation. This suggests that the inter-vortex potential for Z(3) strings might be flat for these coupl ings, much like the case of U(1) strings in the Bogomol'nyi limit. How ever, we argue that the intervortex potential is attractive at short d istances and repulsive at large separations leading to the possibility of unstable bound states of Z(3) vortices. [S0556-2821(98)03618-2].