Search for relativistic magnetic monopoles with the AMANDA-II detector

Cherenkov emissions of magnetically charged particles passing through a transparent medium will exceed those of electrically charged particles by several orders of magnitude. The Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array (AMANDA), a neutrino telescope utilizing the glacial ice at the geographic South Pole as Cherenkov medium, is capable of efficiently detecting relativistic magnetic monopoles that may pass through its sensitive volume. This thesis presents the search for Cherenkov signatures from relativistic magnetic monopoles in data taken with AMANDA during the 2000. No such signal is observed in the data, and the analysis allows to place upper limits on the flux of relativistic magnetic monopoles. The limit obtained for monopoles reaching the detector from below the horizon, i.e., those monopoles that are capable of crossing the Earth, is the most stringent experimental constraint on the flux of magnetic monopoles to date: Dependent on the monopole speed, the flux limit (at 90% confidence level) varies between 3.8 x 10^-17 cm^-2s^-1sr^-1 (for monopoles moving at the vacuum speed of light) and 8.8 x 10^-16cm^-2s^-1 sr^-1 (for monopoles moving at a speed just above the Cherenkov threshold). The limit obtained for monopoles reaching the detector from above the horizon is less stringent by roughly an order of magnitude, owing to the much larger background from down-going atmospheric muons. This looser limit is valid for a larger class of magnetic monopoles, since the monopole's capability to pass through the Earth is not a requirement.

Grantor dc:publisher

Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen University

Year dc:date

2009

Author dc:creator

• Wissing, Henrike

Contributors dc:contributor

• Wiebusch, Christopher

• info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/530
• Magnetischer Monopol
• Hypothetisches Teilchen
• AMANDA <Teilchendetektor>
• Physik
• magnetische Monopole
• relativistisch
• Flussgrenze
• Neutrinoteleskop
• AMANDA
• magnetic monopoles
• relativistic
• flux limit
• neutrino telescope

Statement dc:rights

• info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/search?p=id:%22RWTH-CONV-113595%22

OAI record oai:identifier

https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/oai2d?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&identifier=oai%3Apublications.rwth-aachen.de%3A51288