On open membranes, cosmic strings and moduli stabilization

We discuss how cosmic strings can be created in heterotic M-theory compactifications with stable moduli. We conclude that the only appropriate candidates seem to be fundamental open membranes with a small length. In four dimensions they will appear as strings with a small tension. We make an observation that, in the presence of the vector bundle moduli, it might be possible to stabilize a five-brane very close to the visible sector so that a macroscopic open membrane connecting this five-brane and the visible brane will have a sufficiently small length. We also discuss how to embed such cosmic strings in heterotic models with stable moduli and whether they can be created after inflation.