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Monopole-antimonopole pair production by magnetic fields
File(s)
1907.05745v2.pdf (176.15 KB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Rajantie, Arttu
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Quantum electrodynamics predicts that in a strong electric field, electron–positron pairs are produced by the Schwinger process, which can be interpreted as quantum tunnelling through the Coulomb potential barrier. If magnetic monopoles exist, monopole–antimonopole pairs would be similarly produced in strong magnetic fields by the electromagnetic dual of this process. The production rate can be computed using semiclassical techniques without relying on perturbation theory, and therefore it can be done reliably in spite of the monopoles' strong coupling to the electromagnetic field. This article explains this phenomenon and discusses the bounds on monopole masses arising from the strongest magnetic fields in the universe, which are in neutron stars known as magnetars and in heavy ion collision experiments such as lead–lead collisions carried out in November 2018 in the large Hadron collider at CERN. It will also discuss open theoretical questions affecting the calculation.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Topological avatars of new physics’.
Date Issued
2019-12-30
Date Acceptance
2019-08-30
Citation
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 2019, 377 (2161)
URI
URL
DOI
ISSN
1364-503X
Publisher
The Royal Society
Journal / Book Title
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Volume
377
Issue
2161
Copyright Statement
© 2019 The Author(s)

Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000511612700011&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
ST/P000762/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology - Other Topics
magnetic monopole
heavy ion collision
particle production
SEARCH
WEAK
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 20190333
Date Publish Online
2019-11-11