DOE OSTI · 3778460
Ionization-based search for magnetic monopoles using the NOvA Far Detector
Abstract
We report a search for highly ionizing magnetic monopoles in the cosmic-ray flux using a 2713-day dataset collected during 2015–2025 with the NOvA Far Detector, a 14-kt segmented detector located on Earth’s surface in Minnesota, United States. The search is sensitive to monopoles across a wide range of speeds, 7 × 10 −4 < 𝛽 < 0.995, and is sensitive to masses as low as 2 × 10 5 GeV for the fastest monopoles. No signal was observed. With the detector’s large surface area and minimal overburden, we achieve the strongest flux limits reported to date in several regions of speed and mass. For heavy monopoles with masses above 10 13 GeV that are able to reach the detector from above or—crossing Earth—from below, we find a flux limit 𝜙 90% < 2 × 10 −16 cm −2 s −1 sr −1 (90% confidence level) for monopoles with 0.005 < 𝛽 < 0.8. Across the same range of speeds, we report a limit 𝜙 90% < 8 × 10 −16 cm −2 s −1 sr −1 for light monopoles with masses above 10 8 GeV that can reach the detector from above.
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Abubakar, S. [Erciyes University], Acero, M. A. [Universidad del Atlantico], Acharya, B. [University of Mississippi], Adamson, P. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory], Anfimov, N. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research], Antoshkin, A. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research], Arrieta-Diaz, E. [Universidad del Magdalena], Asquith, L. [University of Sussex], Aurisano, A. [University of Cincinnati], Back, A. [Indiana University; Iowa State University], Balashov, N. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research], Baldi, P. [University of California at Irvine], Bambah, B. A. [University of Hyderabad], Bannister, E. F. [University of Sussex], Barros, A. [Universidad del Atlantico], Barrow, J. [University of Minnesota Twin Cities], Bat, A. [Bandirma Onyedi Eylül University; Erciyes University], Bezerra, T. J. C. [University of Sussex], Bhatnagar, V. [Panjab University], Bhuyan, B. [IIT Guwahati], Bian, J. [University of California at Irvine; University of Minnesota Twin Cities], Booth, A. C. [Queen Mary University of London; University of Sussex], Bowles, R. [Indiana University], Brahma, B. [IIT Hyderabad], Bromberg, C. [Michigan State University], Buchanan, N. [Colorado State University], Burns, J. [University of Cincinnati], Butkevich, A. [Institute for Nuclear Research of Russia], Catano-Mur, E. [William and Mary], Cesar, J. P. [University of Texas at Austin], Chaudhary, S. [IIT Guwahati], Chirco, R. [Illinois Institute of Technology], Choate, S. [University of Iowa], Choudhary, B. C. [University of Delhi], Chow, O. T. K. [Queen Mary University of London], Christensen, A. [Colorado State University], Cicala, M. F. [University College London], Coan, T. E. [Southern Methodist University], Contreras, T. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory], Cooleybeck, A. [University of Wisconsin-Madison], Coveyou, D. [University of Virginia], Cremonesi, L. [Queen Mary University of London], Davies, G. S. [University of Mississippi], Derwent, P. F. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory], Ding, P. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory], Dever, K. [Queen Mary University of London], Djurcic, Z. [Argonne National Laboratory], Dobbs, K. [University of Houston], Tonguino, D. Dueñas [Florida State University; University of Cincinnati], Dukes, E. C. [University of Virginia], Ehrlich, R. [University of Virginia], Ewart, E. [Indiana University], Filip, P. [The Czech Academy of Sciences], Frank, M. J. [University of South Alabama], Gallagher, H. R. [Tufts University], Giri, A. [IIT Hyderabad], Gomes, R. A. [Universidade Federal de Goiás], Goodman, M. C. [Argonne National Laboratory], Group, R. [University of Virginia], Gusmão, A. [Universidade Federal de Goiás], Habig, A. [University of Minnesota Duluth], Hakl, F. [The Czech Academy of Sciences], Hartnell, J. [University of Sussex], Hatcher, R. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory], Hays, J. M. [Queen Mary University of London], He, M. [University of Houston], Heller, K. [University of Minnesota Twin Cities], Hewes, V. [University of Cincinnati], Himmel, A. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory], Horoho, T. [University of Virginia], Huang, X. [University of Mississippi], Ivanova, A. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research], Jargowsky, B. [University of California at Irvine], Kakorin, I. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research], Kalitkina, A. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research], Kaplan, D. M. [Illinois Institute of Technology], Khanam, A. [Syracuse University], Kirezli, B. [Erciyes University], Kleykamp, J. [University of Mississippi], Klimov, O. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research], Koerner, L. W. [University of Houston], Kolupaeva, L. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research], Kralik, R. [University of Sussex], Kumar, A. [Panjab University], Kuruppu, C. D. [University of South Carolina], Kus, V. [Czech Technical University in Prague], Lackey, T. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Indiana University], Lang, K. [University of Texas at Austin], Lesmeister, J. [University of Houston], Lister, A. [University of Wisconsin-Madison], Lock, J. A. [University of Sussex], Magill, S. [Argonne National Laboratory], Mann, W. A. [Tufts University], Manoharan, M. T. [Cochin University of Science and Technology], Plata, M. Manrique [Indiana University], Marathe, A. [University College London], Marshak, M. L. [University of Minnesota Twin Cities], Martinez-Casales, M. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Iowa State University], Matveev, V. [Institute for Nuclear Research of Russia], Medhi, A. [IIT Guwahati]. 2026-06-29. Ionization-based search for magnetic monopoles using the NOvA Far Detector. https://doi.org/10.1103/spfn-hnhv
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