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Electric discharge in vacuum by minicharged particles

We discuss the possibility of a laboratory search for light minicharged particles carrying electric charge that is a small fraction $ε$ of that of electron. We point out that the production of pairs of such particles in an electric field would result in a measurable discharge in vacuum of electrically charged objects. A realistic experiment may be sensitive to such particles at least down to $ε\sim 10^{-8}$ if their mass is below $\sim 10^{-4}$eV.