Confinement in three-dimensional magnetic monopole-dipole gas

Confinement of electrically charged test particles in the dilute plasma of monopoles and pointlike magnetic dipoles is studied. We calculate the tensi on of the string emerging between the infinitely separated test particles. The string tension is an increasing function of the dipole density provided other parameters of the plasma are fixed. The relevance of our results to confining gauge theories is discussed. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Scien ce B.V.