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Next Frontiers in Magnetic Monopole Searches

Asia/Shanghai
Institute of High Energy Physics, CAS

Institute of High Energy Physics, CAS

Beijing, China
Description

This workshop aims to bring together theorists and experimentalists to chart the path for the next-generation dedicated search for magnetic monopoles in cosmic rays.

The important goal of this workshop is to formalize a concrete experimental proposal—named MANDATE (Monopole And Nuclear Detector at Tibet Elevation)—and to define its physics case, design, deployment strategy, and timeline. A key focus will be exploring the distinct advantage of coupling such a dedicated search with non-dedicated cosmic ray observatories, such as LHAASO, to maximize sensitivity and scientific reach.

Topics to be Covered:

  • Theory & Phenomenology: GUT-scale and low-scale monopole production, cosmological and astrophysical implications (primordial magnetic fields, phase transitions), and related topics.

  • Experimental Landscape: Review of current and past monopole searches (direct and indirect), limits, and detection techniques.

  • Cosmic Ray Synergies: How a major cosmic ray experiment can enhance a dedicated monopole search, and whether a dedicated search could, in turn, benefit the cosmic ray experiment.

  • Exotic Particle Searches: Discussion of other highly-ionizing exotic particles (e.g., nuclearites, Q-balls) that could be pursued with similar detector technologies.

  • The MANDATE Proposal: Dedicated discussions to refine the physics case, detector concept, deployment scenarios, and projected sensitivity.

  • Collaboration & Roadmap: Steps toward a Conceptual Design Report (CDR) and formation of a collaborative effort.

Outcome: The workshop will conclude with a plan to produce a CDR detailing the physics motivation, experimental design, deployment options, and timeline for MANDATE. This document will serve as the foundation for seeking institutional support and launching a new dedicated experiment.

We welcome contributions from theorists, cosmic-ray physicists, particle experimentalists, and instrument developers interested in pioneering the next frontier in monopole discovery.


Local Organizing Committee:

1. 杰 杜 (Du Jie), IHEP

2. 任山君 (Ren Shanjun), IHEP

3. Igor Ostrovskiy, IHEP

 

International Advisory Board:

1. Vasiliki Mitsou,  IFIC - CSIC / U. Valencia

2. Nick Mavromatos, Natl. Tech. U. Athens and King's Coll. London

3. Oliver Gould, U. Nottingham

4. Daniele Perri, Warsaw U.

5. Albert DeRoeck, Imperial College London

6. Andrey Alexandrov, INFN Napoli

7. Rafael Alves Batista, Sorbonne/IAP

8. Michele Doro, U. Padova

9. |张寿山 (Zhang Shoushan), IHEP

Videoconference
Zoom link
VC Room link
Only available for registered users!
Registration
Participants
  • Ala'a AL-Zetoun
  • Albert De Roeck
  • Alexander Antoshkin
  • Andrey Alexandrov
  • Andrey Saveliev
  • Anna Obertacke
  • Arttu Rajantie
  • Bilguun Bayarsaikhan
  • Chen Zhang
  • Chitta Ranjan Das
  • Dan Zhu
  • Emanuela Musumeci
  • Hanlin Yi
  • Igor Ostrovskiy
  • Jarah Evslin
  • Kimyeong Lee
  • Krzysztof Szafrański
  • maurizio spurio
  • Maximilian Bachmaier
  • Mesut Arslandok
  • Michele Doro
  • Nikolaos Mavromatos
  • Oliver Gould
  • Peiwen Mi
  • Perri Daniele
  • Qing Lin
  • Rafael Alves Batista
  • Reda Mekouar
  • Shoushan Zhang
  • Takeshi Kobayashi
  • Toshihiro Fujii
  • Valeri Saveliev
  • Vasiliki Mitsou
  • Wei Chao
  • Wei Wang
  • Xi-He (禧贺) Hu (胡)
  • Ye-Ling Zhou
  • Yi Jia
  • Yufeng Li
  • Zhonghua Zhang
  • 君豪 刘
  • 小岳 孙
  • 昊明 聂
  • 楠 李
  • 贝戈 刘
  • +1
    • 17:30 20:00
      Welcome reception 2h 30m

      Refreshments will be served on the first floor of the Interdisciplinary building.

    • 09:00 09:45
      Opening and Overview
      • 09:00
        Welcome remarks from the EPD director 10m
        Speaker: Liangjian Wen (高能所)
      • 09:10
        Logisitics 10m
        Speaker: LOC
      • 09:20
        Overview and goals 15m
        Speaker: Igor Ostrovskiy
      • 09:35
        Group photo 10m
    • 09:45 10:15
      Coffee break 30m
    • 10:15 11:45
      CR experiments I
      Convener: Yi Jia (高能所)
    • 11:45 13:10
      Lunch Break 1h 25m
    • 13:10 15:20
      Theory I
      Convener: Daniel Perri (Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland)
      • 13:10
        Theory overview of low-mass monopoles 40m
        Speaker: Nikolaos Mavromatos (Nat. Tech. U. Athens and King's College London)
      • 13:50
        Next frontiers for magnetic monopole searches 30m
        Speaker: Oliver Gould (University of Nottingham)
      • 14:20
        Monopoles and Cosmological Magnetic Fields 30m
        Speaker: Takeshi Kobayashi (SISSA)
      • 14:50
        Self-Consistent Parker Bound on Magnetic Monopoles 15m
        Speaker: Chen Zhang (Northeastern University (China))
      • 15:05
        Cosmological Implications of the Slingshot Effect 15m
        Speaker: Maximilian Bachmaier (Max-Planck-Institute for Physics)
    • 15:20 15:40
      Coffee break 20m
    • 15:40 17:10
      MANDATE I
      Convener: Qing Lin (University of Science and Technology of China)
      • 15:40
        Status and Prospects of MANDATE 30m
        Speaker: Igor Ostrovskiy
      • 16:10
        Nuclear track detectors for magnetic monopole searches in large area experiments 30m
        Speaker: maurizio spurio (University of Bologna and INFN)
      • 16:40
        Automated microscopy and the prospects for the MANDATE experiment 30m
        Speaker: Andrey Alexandrov (INFN-Napoli)
    • 17:10 17:40
      Discussion I
    • 18:00 20:30
      Social program: Dinner
    • 09:00 10:30
      CR experiments II
      Convener: Rafael Alves Batista (Sorbonne Université)
      • 09:00
        Space-based searches: MMs and other HIPs 30m
        Speaker: Yi Jia (高能所)
      • 09:30
        Introduction to the LHAASO Experiment and Results Highlights 30m
        Speaker: Shoushan Zhang (Institute of High Energy Physics)
      • 10:00
        CRPropa 3.3: A Unified Multimessenger Framework for SM Physics and Beyond 15m
        Speaker: Andrey Saveliev (Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University)
      • 10:15
        Simulation of arrival directions of low-mass magnetic monopoles with CRPropa: comparison with UHECRs data and implications for next-generation monopole searches 15m
        Speakers: Ala'a AL-Zetoun (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Peiwen Mi
    • 10:30 10:50
      Coffee break 20m
    • 10:50 12:35
      Theory II
      Convener: Nikolaos Mavromatos (Nat. Tech. U. Athens and King's College London)
      • 10:50
        Cosmological Implications of GUT Monopoles 30m
        Speaker: Ye-Ling Zhou (Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study)
      • 11:20
        Non-inflationary solution to monopole problem 30m
        Speaker: Perri Daniele (University of Warsaw)
      • 11:50
        Cosmological Constraints on Magnetic Monopoles as Accelerating Dark Matter 15m
        Speaker: Krzysztof Szafrański (Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw)
      • 12:05
        Reliable Mass Bounds for Magnetic Monopoles via Resummation 15m
        Speaker: Emanuela Musumeci (University of Alabama)
      • 12:20
        Topological Stabilization via Higgs and Z-boson Repulsions in Electroweak Monopole-Antimonopole Pairs 15m
        Speaker: Dan Zhu (Institute of Modern Physics, Huizhou)
    • 12:35 13:35
      Lunch Break 1h
    • 13:35 20:05
      Social program: Excursions
    • 09:00 10:30
      Theory III
      Convener: Chen Zhang (Northeastern University (China))
      • 09:00
        Monopoles production by dual Schwinger process 30m
        Speaker: Arttu Rajantie (Imperial College London)
      • 09:30
        Searching for Strangelets and Macro-SQM Candidates from Neutron Stars, Binary Mergers, and Gamma‑Ray Bursts: Multimessenger Constraints and Direct‑Detection Prospects 30m
        Speaker: Chitta Ranjan Das (The Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, International intergovernmental scientific research organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 6 Joliot-Curie St, Dubna, Moscow Region, Russia, 141980)
      • 10:00
        A Simple Formalism for Treating Quantum Solitons 15m
        Speaker: Jarah Evslin (Institute of Modern Physics, Lanzhou)
      • 10:15
        Revisiting of Dynamics of Fermions near Magnetic Monopoles and Callan-Rubakov Effect 15m
        Speaker: Kimyeong Lee (BIMSA)
    • 10:30 11:00
      Coffee break 30m
    • 11:00 12:15
      Alternative approaches
      Convener: Vasiliki Mitsou (IFIC - CSIC / Univ. Valencia)
      • 11:00
        Cosmic MM searches with SCEP 30m
        Speaker: Qing Lin (University of Science and Technology of China)
      • 11:30
        Magnetic Monopole and HIP Searches with TPCs: First Experience from ALICE 30m
        Speaker: Mesut Arslandok (Yale Univesity)
      • 12:00
        Silicon Photomultiplier - an Optical Sensor for High Energy Physics and Astrophysics 15m
        Speaker: Valeri Saveliev (BFU)
    • 12:15 13:45
      Lunch break 1h 30m
    • 13:45 14:15
      Discussion II
      • 13:45
        Towards MANDATE CDR 25m
      • 14:10
        Summary&Farewell 5m