Magnetic Monopole Search with the Full MoEDAL Trapping Detector in 13 TeV pp Collisions Interpreted in Photon-Fusion and Drell-Yan Production

Abstract

MoEDAL is designed to identify new physics in the form of stable or pseudostable highly ionizing particles produced in high-energy Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collisions. Here we update our previous search for magnetic monopoles in Run 2 using the full trapping detector with almost four times more material and almost twice more integrated luminosity. For the first time at the LHC, the data were interpreted in terms of photon-fusion monopole direct production in addition to the Drell-Yan-like mechanism. The MoEDAL trapping detector, consisting of 794 kg of aluminum samples installed in the forward and lateral regions, was exposed to 4.0 fb −1 of 13 TeV proton-proton collisions at the LHCb interaction point and analyzed by searching for induced persistent currents after passage through a superconducting magnetometer. Magnetic charges equal to or above the Dirac charge are excluded in all samples. Monopole spins 0, 1 /2 and 1 are considered and both velocity-independent and -dependent couplings are assumed. This search provides the best current laboratory constraints for monopoles with magnetic charges ranging from two to five times the Dirac charge.

Topological Nambu monopole in two Higgs doublet models

“…They might be observed in the current monopole searches since they are expected to be abundant in the present universe. Apart from cosmological production, our monopoles might also be produced and detected by the MoEDAL experiment [21] at LHC with masses of the order of a few TeV. Their discovery would not only be a realization of Dirac's hypothesis but also yield a solid evidence of new physics beyond the SM, since there are no stable and regular magnetic monopoles in the SM.…”

Classical production of ’t Hooft–Polyakov monopoles from magnetic fields

“…It has been proposed [3][4][5] that heavy-ion collisions may be the most promising terrestrial method of creating these currently undetected particles, because of the very strong magnetic fields they generate. In order to gain meaningful information from past [6] and future [7] searches, an understanding of monopole production mechanisms is vital.…”

Searches for Magnetic Monopoles: A Review

“…In particular, the MoEDAL experiment is specialising in the detection of magnetic monopoles and other highly ionising particles. MoEDAL has set the stringent bounds on high magnetic charges [103] and together with other LHC experiments, such as ATLAS [91] and possibly CMS, are going to continue probing the existence of light monopoles. Moreover, volumes exposed to LHC collisions, such as the Run-1 CMS beam pipe [104], will be scrutinised by SQUID for the presence of trapped monopoles.…”

“…This analysis extended previously obtained bounds [102] and added new interpretations for a β-dependent coupling and for the first time for spin-1 monopoles. Monopole production via photon fusion has also been recently considered in MoEDAL monopole search analyses [103] following related phenomenological studies [71].…”