Sensing-area distribution functions for one- and three-loop superconductive magnetic-monopole detectors

Abstract

We have calculated the response of the existing one- and three-loop superconductive magnetic-monopole detectors to an isotropic distribution of monopole trajectories passing through the detectors. The effective sensing area of the three-loop detector is shown to be 476 ${\mathrm{cm}}^2$ for events greater than 0.1${\Phi }_0$ (${\Phi }_0$=hc/2e) in at least two of the three loops. These calculations include the effects of the cylindrical superconducting shields surrounding the loops. First the interior magnetic-field distribution within the cylindrical shield is found for a doubly quantized vortex located in the shield wall. Next the coupling of this field to each superconducting loop is computed as a function of the position of the vortex relative to the loop. Then the current change induced in the loops is found for each monopole trajectory by combining the direct coupling to the entering and exiting cylinder wall vortices. The one- and three-loop sensing-area distribution functions are then found using a Monte Carlo technique on a large number of isotropically distributed trajectories.