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Title: Search for Ultra-relativistic Magnetic Monopoles with the Pierre Auger Observatory

Abstract

In this paper, we present a search for ultra-relativistic magnetic monopoles with the Pierre Auger Observatory. Such particles, possibly a relic of phase transitions in the early universe, would deposit a large amount of energy along their path through the atmosphere, comparable to that of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). The air shower profile of a magnetic monopole can be effectively distinguished by the fluorescence detector from that of standard UHECRs. No candidate was found in the data collected between 2004 and 2012, with an expected background of less than 0.1 event from UHECRs. The corresponding 90% confidence level (C.L.) upper limits on the flux of ultra-relativistic magnetic monopoles range from $$10^{-19}$$ (cm$$^{2}$$ sr s)$$^{-1}$$ for a Lorentz factor $$\gamma=10^9$$ to $$2.5 \times10^{-21}$$ (cm$$^{2}$$ sr s)$$^{-1}$$ for $$\gamma=10^{12}$$. Lastly, these results - the first obtained with a UHECR detector - improve previously published limits by up to an order of magnitude.

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Univ. of Siegen (Germany). et al.
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
Contributing Org.:
Pierre Auger Collaboration
OSTI Identifier:
1327017
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1328466
Report Number(s):
FERMILAB-PUB-16-373-AD-AE-CD-TD; arXiv:1609.04451
Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010; 1486632
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-07CH11359; FR02-04ER41300; FG02-99ER41107; SC0011689
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review D
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 94; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

Citation Formats

Aab, Alexander. Search for Ultra-relativistic Magnetic Monopoles with the Pierre Auger Observatory. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.94.082002.
Aab, Alexander. Search for Ultra-relativistic Magnetic Monopoles with the Pierre Auger Observatory. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.94.082002
Aab, Alexander. 2016. "Search for Ultra-relativistic Magnetic Monopoles with the Pierre Auger Observatory". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.94.082002. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1327017.
@article{osti_1327017,
title = {Search for Ultra-relativistic Magnetic Monopoles with the Pierre Auger Observatory},
author = {Aab, Alexander},
abstractNote = {In this paper, we present a search for ultra-relativistic magnetic monopoles with the Pierre Auger Observatory. Such particles, possibly a relic of phase transitions in the early universe, would deposit a large amount of energy along their path through the atmosphere, comparable to that of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). The air shower profile of a magnetic monopole can be effectively distinguished by the fluorescence detector from that of standard UHECRs. No candidate was found in the data collected between 2004 and 2012, with an expected background of less than 0.1 event from UHECRs. The corresponding 90% confidence level (C.L.) upper limits on the flux of ultra-relativistic magnetic monopoles range from $10^{-19}$ (cm$^{2}$ sr s)$^{-1}$ for a Lorentz factor $\gamma=10^9$ to $2.5 \times10^{-21}$ (cm$^{2}$ sr s)$^{-1}$ for $\gamma=10^{12}$. Lastly, these results - the first obtained with a UHECR detector - improve previously published limits by up to an order of magnitude.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevD.94.082002},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1327017}, journal = {Physical Review D},
issn = {2470-0010},
number = ,
volume = 94,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Mon Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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Cited by: 16 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Searches for cosmic magnetic monopoles: past, present and future
journal, November 2019

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Physical implications of electroweak monopole
journal, November 2019