The Interaction of the Dirac Magnetic Monopole with Matter

Abstract

It has been previously determined that an electron has no bound states in the field of the magnetic monopole. Seeking to establish the character of the monopole's interaction with the more complex fields of atoms and molecules, this paper investigates charged particles, of arbitrary magnetic moment, moving simultaneously in the field of the monopole and an external electric field. It is concluded that the monopole can be coupled to matter with energies comparable to, but not significantly greater than, the chemical bond, reservations being made in the case of hydrogen where the lowest energy state depends upon the mass of the monopole.