Search for Intermediate Mass Magnetic Monopoles and Nuclearites with the SLIM experiment

TL;DR

The SLIM experiment searches for intermediate mass magnetic monopoles and nuclearites in cosmic radiation using large-area nuclear track detectors, achieving high sensitivity over several years of operation.

Contribution

This study reports the first results from the SLIM experiment, including detector calibration and initial analysis, advancing the search for exotic particles in cosmic rays.

Findings

Calibration of CR39 and Makrofol detectors completed

Initial analysis sets new upper limits on flux of magnetic monopoles

Experiment demonstrates high sensitivity to rare cosmic particles

Abstract

SLIM is a large area experiment (440 m2) installed at the Chacaltaya cosmic ray laboratory since 2001, and about 100 m2 at Koksil, Himalaya, since 2003. It is devoted to the search for intermediate mass magnetic monopoles (107-1013 GeV/c2) and nuclearites in the cosmic radiation using stacks of CR39 and Makrofol nuclear track detectors. In four years of operation it will reach a sensitivity to a flux of about 10-15 cm-2 s-1 sr-1. We present the results of the calibration of CR39 and Makrofol and the analysis of a first sample of the exposed detector.