Abstract
In a field theory model, we study, via numerical experiments, the role of bound states in the evolution of cosmic superstring networks, being composed by p F strings, q D strings and (p,q) bound states. We find robust evidence for scaling of all three components of the network, independently of initial conditions. The novelty of our numerical approach consists of having control over the initial abundance of bound states. This indeed allows us to identify the effect of bound states on the evolution of the network. We also find an additional energy loss mechanism, resulting in a lower overall string network energy, and thus scaling of the network. This new mechanism consists of the formation of bound states with an increasing length.