Search for massive rare particles with the SLIM experiment
/ Authors
S. Balestra, S. Cecchini, F. Fabbri, G. Giacomelli, A. Kumar, S. Manzoor, J. Mcdonald, E. Medinaceli, J. Nogales, L. Patrizii
and 11 more authors
J. Pinfold, V. Popa, I. Qureshi, O. Saavedra, G. Sher, M. Shahzad, M. Spurio, R. Ticona, V. Togo, A. Velarde, A. Zanini
/ Abstract
The search for magnetic monopoles in the cosmic radiation remains one of the main aims of non-accelerator particle astrophysics. Experiments at high altitude allow lower mass thresholds with respect to detectors at sea level or underground. The SLIM experiment is a large array of nuclear track detectors at the Chacaltaya High Altitude Laboratory (5290 m a.s.l.). The results from the analysis of 171 m$^2$ exposed for more than 3.5 y are here reported. The completion of the analysis of the whole detector will allow to set the lowest flux upper limit for Magnetic Monopoles in the mass range 10$^5$ - 10$^{12}$ GeV. The experiment is also sensitive to SQM nuggets and Q-balls, which are possible Dark Matter candidates.
Journal: arXiv: High Energy Physics - Experiment