Search for massive rare particles with MACRO

TL;DR

This paper reports on the search for massive rare particles like magnetic monopoles, nuclearites, and Q-balls in cosmic radiation using the MACRO detector, establishing flux limits based on null results.

Contribution

It presents new experimental flux limits for magnetic monopoles, nuclearites, and Q-balls using multiple detection methods at Gran Sasso.

Findings

No magnetic monopoles detected, flux limits established.

Stringent flux limits set for nuclearites and Q-balls.

Multi-method approach enhances search sensitivity.

Abstract

Massive rare particles have been searched for in the penetrating cosmic radiation using the MACRO apparatus at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories. Liquid scintillators, streamer tubes and nuclear track detectors have been used to search for magnetic monopoles (MMs). Based on no observation of such signals, stringent flux limits are established for MMs as slow as a few 10^(-5)c. The methods based on the scintillator and on the nuclear track subdetectors were also applied to search for nuclearites. Preliminary results of the searches for charged Q-balls are also presented.