  This investigation is concerned with cosmological scenarios based on particle
physics theories that give rise to superconducting cosmic strings (whose
subsequent evolution may produce stable loop configurations known as vortons).
Cases in which electromagnetic coupling of the string current is absent or
unimportant have been dealt with in previous work. The purpose of the present
work is to provide quantitative estimates for cases in which electromagnetic
interaction with the surrounding plasma significantly affects the string
dynamics. In particular it will be shown that the current can become
sufficiently strong for the initial period of friction dominated string motion
to be substantially prolonged, which would entail a reinforcement of the short
length scale end of the spectrum of the string distribution, with potentially
observable cosmological implications if the friction dominated scenario lasts
until the time of plasma recombination.
