Search for a Dirac Magnetic Monopole in High Energy Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions

A new technique based on barium phosphate glass detectors was used in searching for Dirac pointlike magnetic monopoles with n{ge}2 in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. No candidates were found in 1.05{times}10{sup 9} and 3.08{times}10{sup 10} interactions of 11A GeV Au nuclei and 1.46{times}10{sup 10} interactions of 160A GeV Pb nuclei with Pb targets. The upper limits, on order of nb, on the production cross sections for Dirac magnetic monopoles and other hypothetical highly ionizing objects are well below those predicted via the Drell-Yan mechanism. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}