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Re: Magnetic monopoles



Since we're talking about magnetic monopoles (or I hope we
will!)...is it true that magnetic monopoles are predicted by General
Relativity? My physics students asked me how that could be and I had to
plead ignorance.

No. Magnetic monopoles do appear in some particle physics theorties,
however, and there is room left for them in classical electrodynamics.
It is obvious that they can be added to Maxwell's equations. Quantum
physics also has something to say about monopoles. If even one
monopole exists anywhere in the universe then quantization of angular
momentum (by the Bohr-Sommerfeld criterion) and quantization of charge
become one law. The mathematics to prove this is a second-year
electricity and magnetism exercise. Monopoles could be hazardous to
your health, however. According to some of the particle theorists
monopoles should catalyze proton decay!

Leigh