Monopole-Antimonopole Pair Production in Primordial Magnetic Fields

TL;DR

This paper investigates how primordial magnetic fields in the early universe could produce monopole-antimonopole pairs, leading to relic monopoles and constraining magnetic field strengths and monopole masses.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis of monopole pair production by cosmological magnetic fields and derives new limits on monopole mass and primordial magnetic field amplitudes.

Findings

Relic monopoles can be produced by early universe magnetic fields.

Primordial magnetic fields can induce monopole pair production at high redshifts.

Constraints on monopole mass and magnetic field strength are established.

Abstract

We show that monopoles can be pair produced by cosmological magnetic fields in the early universe. The pair production gives rise to relic monopoles, and at the same time induces a self-screening of the magnetic fields. By studying these effects we derive limits on the monopole mass, and also on the initial amplitude of primordial magnetic fields. Monopoles of GUT scale mass can even be produced if primordial magnetic fields exist at sufficiently high redshifts.