Scientists at NIST have discovered large-scale magnetic monopoles in a spin ice crystal material, providing a new way to study these elusive particles. The monopoles, which behave like the theoretical particles predicted by Dirac, are created when the spin of an ion in the crystal is knocked askew, forming a monopole and adjacent antimonopole.
The team used neutron scattering at NIST’s Center for Neutron Research to observe the spin ice’s transition from its normal state to the monopole state. While these monopoles are much larger than the theoretical particles Dirac predicted, they exhibit the same properties and interactions. This discovery allows scientists to test predictions about monopoles and their behavior in a controlled laboratory setting.
Keywords: Monopoles, Neutron, Scattering, Spin, Ice
