Sweeping Away the Monopole Problem

We propose a new solution to the cosmological monopole problem in which domain walls sweep away the magnetic monopoles and subsequently decay. The solution does not require extensive fine-tuning or model building; it works for the prototype $\mathrm{SU}\left(5\right)$ grand unification model. More generally, it shows that defect interactions can lead to “defect erasure” in phase transitions and that this can be relevant to early universe physics.