Does Magnetic Charge Imply a Massive Photon ?

TL;DR

The paper argues that the existence of magnetic monopoles with large magnetic charge could lead to a massive photon due to confinement, challenging the notion of a massless photon in such theories.

Contribution

It demonstrates that magnetic charge implies photon mass generation via confinement, and shows the Cabbibo-Ferrari formulation remains consistent despite this mass.

Findings

Large magnetic charge leads to photon mass via confinement.

Massless photon assumption is challenged by magnetic monopoles.

Cabbibo-Ferrari formulation remains consistent with massive photon.

Abstract

In Abelian theories of monopoles the magnetic charge is required to be enormous. Using the electric-magnetic duality of electromagnetism it is argued that the existence of such a large, non-perturbative magnetic coupling should lead to a phase transition where magnetic charge is permanently confined and the photon becomes massive. The apparent masslessness of the photon could then be used as an argument against the existence of such a large, non-perturbative magnetic charge. Finally it is shown that even in the presence of this dynamical mass generation the Cabbibo-Ferrari formulation of magnetic charge gives a consistent theory.