Search for slow magnetic monopoles with the NOvA detector on the surface


Acero M. A., Adamson P., Aliaga L., Alion T., Allakhverdian V., Anfimov N., ...More

PHYSICAL REVIEW D, vol.103, no.1, 2021 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 103 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2021
  • Doi Number: 10.1103/physrevd.103.012007
  • Journal Name: PHYSICAL REVIEW D
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Aerospace Database, Chemical Abstracts Core, INSPEC, zbMATH
  • Erciyes University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

We report a search for a magnetic monopole component of the cosmic-ray flux in a 95-day exposure of the NOvA experiment's Far Detector, a 14 kt segmented liquid scintillator detector designed primarily to observe GeV-scale electron neutrinos. No events consistent with monopoles were observed, setting an upper limit on the flux of 2 x 10(-14) cm(-2) s(-1) sr(-1) at 90% C.L. for monopole speed 6 x 10(-4) < beta < 5 x 10(-3) and mass greater than 5 x 10(8) GeV. Because of NOvA's small overburden of 3 meters-water equivalent, this constraint covers a previously unexplored low-mass region.