Results of a Magnetic Monopole Search and a Possible Detector for WIMP Dark Matter.

The results of a recent magnetic monopole search are presented. The detector is an array of He-Ch _4 proportional tubes whose effective area -solid angle product is 265 m^2sr. Possible monopole signatures are based upon signal timing and an atomic induction energy loss mechanism. For a live-time of 578 days, no bare monopole candidates were observed, setting an upper flux limit (at the 90% confidence level) of 1.8 times 10^{ -14} cm^{-2}sr ^{-1}rm s^{-1 } for beta > 1.1 times 10^ {-4}. In addition, preliminary results of a feasibility study on a possible WIMP (weakly interacting massive particle) detector are presented. The proposed instrument is a low pressure TPC (time projection chamber), and would detect WIMPs in the dark galactic halo by observing the energy and direction of nuclear recoil induced by the elastic scattering of a WIMP off a nucleus of the detector gas.