An experimental search for cosmic monopoles

A simple search for a flux of massive cosmic monopoles predicted by the grand unified theories of strong, electromagnetic and weak interactions, was performed using an existing cosmic ray telescope of scintillation counters. The experiment was sensitive to monopoles, coming from above and underneath the earth surface, with a velocity 7 x 10-3 < β < 0.6. An upper limit of 6 x 10-5 monopoles per cm2 sr yr (90% c.l.) is obtained. (orig.)