  This paper addresses the problem of vortex formation during a rapid quench in
a superconducting film. It builds on previous work showing that in a local
gauge theory there are two distinct mechanisms of defect formation, based on
fluctuations of the scalar and gauge fields, respectively. We show how vortex
formation in a thin film differs from the fully two-dimensional case, on which
most theoretical studies have focused. We discuss ways of testing theoretical
predictions in superconductor experiments and analyse the results of recent
experiments in this light.
