String tension from monopoles in SU(2) lattice gauge theory

We calculate the heavy quark potential from the magnetic current due to monopoles in four-dimensional SU(2) lattice gauge theory. The magnetic current is located in configurations generated in a conventional Wilson action simulation on a 16[sup 4] lattice. The configurations are projected with high accuracy into the maximum Abelian gauge. The magnetic current is then extracted and the monopole contribution to the potential is calculated. The resulting string tension is in excellent agreement with the SU(2) string tension obtained by conventional means from the configurations. A comparison is made with the U(1) case, with emphasis on the differing periodicity properties of SU(2) and U(1) lattice gauge theories. The properties of the maximum Abelian gauge are discussed.