22.03.2013 - 23:22 [ APS physics ]

Focus: Mysterious Monopole Remains Elusive

The magnetic monopole is the Yeti of the subatomic world—avidly sought but never incontrovertibly seen. Reporting in Physical Review Letters, a team of physicists argues that old, high-latitude rocks derived from the Earth’s interior should be prime hunting ground for the hypothetical particles. Although the team’s search came up empty, their strategy may offer a way to set stronger limits on the abundance of monopoles within the planet.