Magnetic monopole

In <a href="/facts/Particle_physics/YgIuyj2t">particle physics</a>, a magnetic monopole is a hypothetical <a href="/facts/Particle/JHKr2w6h">particle</a> that is an isolated <a href="/facts/Magnet/vvrg6VSk">magnet</a> with only one magnetic pole (a north pole without a south pole or vice versa). A magnetic monopole would have a net north or south "magnetic charge". Modern interest in the concept stems from <a href="/facts/High-energy_physics/YgIuyj2t">particle theories</a>, notably the <a href="/facts/Grand_unified_theory/UVHj76XX">grand unified</a> and <a href="/facts/Superstring_theory/1gY26F0D">superstring</a> theories, which predict their existence.
The known elementary particles that have <a href="/facts/Electric_charge/xxsBfmlB">electric charge</a> are electric monopoles.
Magnetism in <a href="/facts/Bar_magnet/vvrg6VSk">bar magnets</a> and <a href="/facts/Electromagnet/3YMYtSMX">electromagnets</a> is not caused by magnetic monopoles, and indeed, there is no known experimental or observational evidence that magnetic monopoles exist. A magnetic monopole is not necessarily an <a href="/facts/Elementary_particle/CTFDM97U">elementary particle</a>, and models for magnetic monopole production can include (but are not limited to) <a href="/facts/Spin_(physics)/4Jvp7e8P">spin</a>-0 monopoles or spin-1 massive vector <a href="/facts/Meson/9R0kIc1q">mesons</a>. The term "magnetic monopole" only refers to the nature of the particle, rather than a designation for a single particle.
Some <a href="/facts/Condensed_matter/EBVI5nmL">condensed matter</a> systems contain effective (non-isolated) magnetic monopole <a href="/facts/Quasiparticle/Bpx2MNpb">quasi-particles</a>, or contain phenomena that are mathematically analogous to magnetic monopoles.

Magnetic monopole open-in-new

Magnetic monopole