Search for Relativistic Magnetic Monopoles with IceCube

TL;DR

This paper reports the first search for relativistic magnetic monopoles using the IceCube detector, setting new upper limits on their flux and improving previous constraints significantly.

Contribution

First search for relativistic magnetic monopoles with IceCube, providing new flux limits and extending the parameter space compared to prior experiments.

Findings

No candidate events found.

Set upper flux limit of ~3×10⁻¹⁸ cm⁻² s⁻¹ sr⁻¹ for β ≥ 0.8.

Improved previous flux limits by a factor of 4.

Abstract

We present the first results in the search for relativistic magnetic monopoles with the IceCube detector, a subsurface neutrino telescope located in the South Polar ice cap containing a volume of 1 km$^{3}$. This analysis searches data taken on the partially completed detector during 2007 when roughly 0.2 km$^{3}$ of ice was instrumented. The lack of candidate events leads to an upper limit on the flux of relativistic magnetic monopoles of $\Phi_{\mathrm{90%C.L.}}\sim 3\e{-18}\fluxunits$ for $\beta\geq0.8$. This is a factor of 4 improvement over the previous best experimental flux limits up to a Lorentz boost $\gamma$ below $10^{7}$. This result is then interpreted for a wide range of mass and kinetic energy values.