Questions tagged [magnetic-monopoles]

A magnetic monopole is a hypothetical particle with only one magnetic pole. Their magnetic fields would not be divergence-less. Predicted by certain modern theories, including string theory, supergravity, and various popular grand unified theories.

A magnetic monopole is a hypothetical particle with only one magnetic pole. Their magnetic fields would not be divergence-less. Predicted by certain modern theories, including string theory, supergravity, and various popular grand unified theories.

In Maxwell's equations, Gauss's law for magnetism states that:

$$\nabla\cdot\vec B=0$$

Whereas the corresponding law for electricity states that:

$$\nabla\cdot\vec E = \frac{q}{\epsilon_0}$$

This obvious asymmetry between the above two equations, that there is no "magnetic charge", as there is an "electric charge", indicates that it is pfossible that there in fact are, magnetic charges, and thus magnetic monopoles.

See also this meta post [1]

372 questions
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How to make a monopole magnet?

I want to create a monopole magnet. Is this practically / theoretically possible?
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Dirac's quantization of electric charge

I was following Nakahara's book Geometry, Topology and Physics, specifically subsection 10.5.2. I do understand how he obtains the equality, $$ \Delta \varphi = \int \mathrm d\varphi = \int \limits^{2\pi}_{0} 2g \, \mathrm d\phi = 4\pi g$$ and that…
Dylan_VM
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Why does Witten say that his work only makes sense if magnetic monopoles exist?

Witten emphasises (in the Q&A session after his talk on introductory knot theory) that he works on theories which admit magnetic monopoles. But how would the theories break down if magnetic monopoles do not exist? What are the theories that he…
Maxis Jaisi
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Theoretical magnetic Monopole

I'm trying to solve question B2 on the 2012 USAPHO semifinal exam (last page). The solutions are here on the last three pages. I don't understand the following line: The flux through the loop will then be $\Phi_B = \int \vec B \cdot dA =…
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What is the assurance that a magnetic monopole (if created) can be detected through the MoEDAL Experiment?

Please refer to this paper (http://web.mit.edu/ellisk/www/monopoles.pdf). It says in the Section B, ... One search technique relies upon the fact that, just as an electric current produces a circulating magnetic field, a magnetic current produces a…
Subhra
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Would monopoles exist in numbers that cancel out?

Suppose magnetic monopoles exist. Is there a reason to think that as much north monopole must exist as south, or even that if one exists then so must the other (could there be south without north or north without south)?
Dave
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An improved magnetic monopole detection setup?

A "common" way to try to detect magnetic monopoles is to look for otherwise inexplicable changes in the current carried in a superconducting loop. The idea there is that the radial field surrounding the monopole will induce a current in the loop as…
S. McGrew
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