Search for β > 0 . 6 magnetic monopoles with the ANTARES neutrino telescope

The search for magnetic monopoles with the ANTARES neutrino telescope is presented. These hypothetical particles carry only a magnetic charge. They would be created in the primordial Universe within the phase transition corresponding to the spontaneous breaking of the unified gauge group into subgroups, then would be accelerated by the Galactic magnetic fields and reach the Earth. Magnetic monopoles could be detected as highly ionizing particles in neutrino telescopes. This new analysis uses a total live time of 1121 days of the ANTARES detector. No signal above the background expectation from atmospheric muons and neutrinos is observed, and new 90% C.L. upper limits are set on the magnetic monopole flux for velocities b = v/c >= 0.6. These limits hold for up-going magnetic monopoles in the mass range 10^10 GeV/c^2