A combined analysis technique for the search for fast magnetic monopoles with the MACRO detector

Abstract

We describe a search method for fast moving ($\beta >5\times 10^{-3}$) magnetic monopoles using simultaneously the scintillator, streamer tube and track-etch subdetectors of the MACRO apparatus. The first two subdetectors are used primarily for the identification of candidates while the track-etch one is used as the final tool for their rejection or confirmation. Using this technique, a first sample of more than two years of data has been analyzed without any evidence of a magnetic monopole. We set a 90% CL upper limit to the local monopole flux of $1.5\times 10^{-15}c{m}^{-2}{s}^{-1}s{r}^{-1}$ in the velocity range $5\times 10^{-3}\le \beta \le 0.99$ and for nucleon decay catalysis cross section smaller than $\sim 1mb$.

29 pages (12 figures). Accepted by Astroparticle Physics

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