Search for magnetic monopoles in polar volcanic rocks

Understand

For a broad range of values of magnetic monopole mass and charge, the abundance of monopoles trapped inside the Earth would be expected to be enhanced in the mantle beneath the geomagnetic poles.

• A search for magnetic monopoles was conducted using the signature of an induced persistent current following the passage of igneous rock samples through a SQUID-based magnetometer.
• A total of 24.6 kg of rocks from various selected sites, among which 23.4 kg are mantle-derived rocks from the Arctic and Antarctic areas, was analysed.
• No monopoles were found and a 90% confidence level upper limit of $9.8\cdot 10^{-5}$/gram is set on the monopole density in the search samples.