Search for slowly moving magnetic monopoles

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for slowly moving magnetic monopoles in cosmic radiation using the MACRO detector, setting an upper flux limit due to no candidates being found.

Contribution

First search for slow magnetic monopoles in cosmic rays using MACRO, establishing new flux upper limits in the specified velocity range.

Findings

No monopole candidates detected.

Established upper flux limit of 5.6×10⁻¹⁵ cm⁻² sr⁻¹ s⁻¹.

Constraints on monopole flux in the velocity range 1.8×10⁻⁴ to 3×10⁻³.

Abstract

We report a search for slowly moving magnetic monopoles in the cosmic radiation with the first supermodule of the MACRO detector at Gran Sasso. The absence of candidates established an upper limit on the monopole flux of $5.6\times10^{-15}\mbox{cm}^{-2}\mbox{sr}^{-1}\mbox{s}^{-1}$ at 90\% confidence level for the velocity range of $1.8\times10^{-4}<\beta<3\times10^{-3}$.