Dark Matter annihilation (DMA) may yield an excess of gamma rays and antimatter particles, like antiprotons and positrons, above the background from cosmic ray interactions. Several signatures, ranging from the positron excess, as observed by HEAT, AMS-01 and PAMELA, the gamma ray excess, as observed by the EGRET spectrometer, the WMAP-haze, and constraints from antiprotons, as observed by CAPRICE, BESS and PAMELA, have been discussed in the literature. Unfortunately, the different signatures all lead to different WIMP masses, indicating that at least some of these interpretations are likely to be incorrect. Here we review them and discuss their relative merits and uncertainties. New x-ray data from ROSAT suggests non-negligible convection in our Galaxy, which leads to an order of magnitude uncertainty in the yield of charged particles from DMA, since even a rather small convection will let drift the charged particles in the halo to outer space.
There is mounting evidence for dark matter in the Universe and one of the favourite dark matter candidates is the neutralino, which naturally appears as the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) in many supersymmetric extensions of the standard model. The neutralino has the desired properties to be a good dark matter candidate and we will here review the different indirect searches for neutralino dark matter and discuss the implications on these from recent direct searches.
In the quest for indirect signals from dark matter annihilation, powerful computation codes are required. I report here a new code based on micrOMEGAs devoted to the analysis of such signals in term of Supersymmetry. It computes gamma rays and positrons fluxes in a general SuSy model, as well as the other charged cosmic rays and neutrinos source terms. This work aims to propose an alternative to the DarkSUSY code by providing inclusive signals from SuSy for dark matter indirect searches. Therefore it can be used for sensitivity studies and data analysis.
Non-baryonic, or "dark," matter is believed to be a major component of the total mass budget of the universe. We review the candidates for particle dark matter and discuss the prospects for direct detection (via interaction of dark matter particles with laboratory detectors) and indirect detection (via observations of the products of dark matter self-annihilations), focusing in particular on the Galactic center, which is among the most promising targets for indirect detection studies. The gravitational potential at the Galactic center is dominated by stars and by the supermassive black hole, a…
Neutrino telescopes of kilometer size are currently being planned. They will be two or three orders of magnitude larger than presently operating detectors, but they will have a much higher muon energy threshold. We discuss the trade-off between area and energy threshold for indirect detection of neutralino dark matter captured in the Sun and in the Earth and annihilating into high energy neutrinos. We also study the effect of a higher threshold on the complementarity of different searches for supersymmetric dark matter.
Relic neutralinos produced after the Big Bang are favoured candidates for Dark Matter. They can accumulate at the centre of massive celestial objects like our Sun. Their annihilation can result in a high-energy neutrino flux that could be detectable as a localised emission with earth-based neutrino telescopes like ANTARES. In this paper a brief overview of the prospects of the indirect search for Dark Matter particles with the ANTARES detector will be given. The analysis method and expected performance for the detection of the expected neutrinos will be discussed.
Numerous lines of evidence indicate that the matter content of the Universe is dominated by some unseen component. Determining the nature of this Dark Matter is one of the most important problems in cosmology. Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are widely considered to be one of the best candidates which may comprise the Dark Matter. A brief overview of the different methods being used to search for WIMP Dark Matter is given, focusing on the technologies of several benchmark experiments.
AMS-02 is a multi-purpose spectrometer with superconducting magnet, and is designed for 3 years of data taking aboard the International Space Station. Its high performance regarding particle identification and energy measurement will allow performing indirect searches for dark matter (DM) in different channels simultaneously: gamma rays, positrons and antiprotons. AMS-02 sensitivity to those signals are presented and --provided the positron excess is due to DM signal-- it is shown that it allows to probe new physics models in detail. Its high sensitivity could even be a unique opportunity to r…
Observations of the Galactic center region with the H.E.S.S. telescopes have established the existence of a steady, extended source of gamma-ray emission coinciding with the position of the super massive black hole Sgr A*. This is a remarkable finding given the expected presence of dense self-annihilating Dark Matter in the Galactic center region. The self-annihilation process is giving rise to gamma-ray production through hadronization including the production of neutral pions which decay into gamma-rays but also through (loop-suppressed) annihilation into final states of almost mono-energeti…
If dark matter is made of neutralinos, annihilation of such Majorana particles should produce high energy cosmic rays, especially in galaxy halo high density regions like galaxy centres. M31 (Andromeda) is our nearest neighbour spiral galaxy, and both its high mass and its low distance make it a source of interest for the indirect search for dark matter through gamma-ray detection. The ground based atmospheric Cherenkov telescope CELESTE observed M31 from 2001 to 2003, in the mostly unexplored energy range 50-500 GeV. These observations provide an upper limit on the flux above 50 GeV around $1…
In this proceeding, we briefly review three recent results. First, we show that halos formed in simulations with gas cooling are significantly rounder than halos formed in dissipationless $N$-body simulations. The increase in principle axis ratios is $δ(c/a) ~ 0.2 - 0.4$ in the inner halo and remains significant at large radii. Second, we discuss the CDM substructure crisis and demonstrate the sensitivity of the crisis to the spectrum of primordial density fluctuations on small scales. Third, we assess the ability of experiments like VERITAS and GLAST to detect $γ$-rays from neutralino dark ma…
The annihilations of WIMPs produce high energy gamma-rays in the final state. These high energy gamma-rays may be detected by IACTs such as the H.E.S.S. array of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. Besides the popular targets such as the Galactic Center or galaxy clusters such as VIRGO, dwarf spheroidal galaxies are privileged targets for Dark Matter annihilation signal searches. H.E.S.S. observations on the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy are presented. The modelling of the Dark Matter halo profile of Sagittarius dwarf is discussed. Constraints on the velocity-weighted cross section of Dark Ma…
Possible dark matter candidates are reviewed as well as indirect search methods based on annihilation or decay channels of these particles. Neutralino is presently the best particle candidate and its annihilation produces high energy neutrinos, antiprotons, positrons and gamma-rays. To date, only upper limits on neutrino fluxes from the center of the Earth or the Sun, were established by different experiments. Antiprotons detected by the BESS collaboration, if issued from the follow up hadronization of the annihilation process, exclude neutralino masses higher than 100 GeV. The EGRET gamma-ray…
A new measurement of the cosmic ray positron fraction in the energy range of 1-50 GeV is presented. The measurement is based on data taken by the AMS-01 experiment during its 10 day space shuttle flight in June 1998. A proton background suppression in the order of 10^6 is reached by identifying converted bremsstrahlung photons emitted from electrons and positrons.
Principle of neutralino dark matter detection with neutrino telescopes and predictions are reviewed. The future Antares detector is described. Prospection in the CMSSM is exposed including comparison with experiment sensitivities of both neutrino indirect detection and direct detection experiments. Results in other frameworks are shortly surveyed. Models with a non negligible neutralino higgsino fraction are promising for neutrino telescopes detection.
Neutralinos are the natural well-motivated candidates to provide the non-baryonic dark matter of the universe which may produce detectable signals through their annihilation into neutrinos, photons or positrons. Due to its high flux sensitivity and low energy threshold, the MAGIC Cherenkov telescope could potentially detect the neutralino annihilation high energy photon products. In the framework of minimal supergravity, the neutralino SUSY parameter space can be scanned in different benchmark scenarios defined after accelerator and cosmology constraints. Moreover, the neutralino density profi…
We study potential signals of neutralino dark matter indirect detection by neutrino telescopes in a wide range of CMSSM parameters. We also compare with direct detection potential signals taking into account in both cases present and future experiment sensitivities. Only models with neutralino annihilation into gauge bosons can satisfy cosmological constraints and current neutrino indirect detection sensitivities. For both direct and indirect detection, only next generation experiments will be able to really test this kind of models.
Dark matter detection experiments are getting ever closer to the sensitivity needed to detect the primary particle physics candidates for nonbaryonic dark matter. Indirect detection methods include searching for antimatter and gamma rays, in particular gamma ray lines, in cosmic rays and high-energy neutrinos from the centre of the Earth or Sun caused by accretion and annihilation of dark matter particles. A review is given of recent progress, both on the theoretical and experimental sides.
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), to be installed on the International Space Station, will provide data on cosmic radiations in the energy range from 0.5 GeV to 3 TeV. The main physics goals are the anti-matter and the dark matter searches. Observations and cosmology indicate that the Universe may include a large amount of unknown Dark Matter. It should be composed of non baryonic Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMP). In R-parity conserving models a good WIMP candidate is the lightest SUSY particle. AMS offers a unique opportunity to study simultaneously SUSY dark matter in three d…
In this talk, we discuss the potential for the indirect detection of Kaluza-Klein dark matter using neutrino telescopes and cosmic positron experiments. We find that future kilometer-scale neutrino telescopes, such as IceCube, as well as future experiments capable of measuring the cosmic positron spectrum, such as PAMELA and AMS-02, will be quite sensitive to this scenario. Current data from the HEAT experiment can also be explained by the presence of Kaluza-Klein dark matter in the Galactic halo.
We revisit indirect detection possibilities for neutralino dark matter, emphasizing the complementary roles of different approaches. While thermally produced dark matter often requires large astrophysical "boost factors" to observe antimatter signals, the physically motivated alternative of non-thermal dark matter can naturally provide interesting signals, for example from light wino or Higgsino dark matter. After a brief review of cosmic ray propagation, we discuss signals for positrons, antiprotons, synchrotron radiation and gamma rays from wino annihilation in the galactic halo, and examine…
Neutrino telescopes of kilometer size are currently being planned. They will be two or three orders of magnitude bigger than presently operating detectors, but they will have a much higher muon energy threshold. We discuss the trade-off between area and energy threshold for indirect detection of neutralino dark matter captured in the Sun and in the Earth and annihilating into high energy neutrinos. We also study the effect of a higher threshold on the complementarity of different searches for supersymmetric dark matter.
We present the signatures and prospects for the indirect detection of a Dirac right-handed neutrino dark matter candidate in neutrino telescopes, cosmic positron experiments and gamma-ray telescopes. An example of such a dark matter candidate can be found in extra-dimensional models. In some constructions, Kaluza--Klein states with the gauge quantum numbers of a right-handed neutrino can have sizable gauge interactions with Standard Model particles. For instance, in 5D warped Grand Unified Theories, it has been shown that a Kaluza--Klein right-handed neutrino may be stable and otherwise a phen…
We study direct and indirect detection possibilities of neutralino dark matter produced non-thermally by e.g. the decay of long-lived particles, as is easily implemented in the case of anomaly or mirage mediation models. In this scenario, large self-annihilation cross sections are required to account for the present dark matter abundance, and it leads to significant enhancement of the gamma-ray signature from the Galactic Center and the positron flux from the dark matter annihilation. It is found that GLAST and PAMELA will find the signal or give tight constraints on such nonthermal production…
For the SUSY 2007 conference, I was asked to review the topic of indirect searches for dark matter. As part of that talk, I summarized several observations which have been interpreted as the product of dark matter annihilations. In my contribution to the proceedings, I have decided to focus on this aspect of my talk. In particular, I will discuss the cosmic positron spectrum measured by HEAT, the 511 keV emission from the Galactic Bulge measured by INTEGRAL, the diffuse galactic and extragalactic gamma ray spectra measured by EGRET, and the microwave excess from the Galactic Center observed by…
We investigate the effect induced by neutrino oscillation on the dark matter indirect detection signal which consists in a muon neutrino flux produced by neutralino annihilation in the Earth core. We consider the neutrino oscillation parameters relevant to the atmosferic neutrino deficit, both in the nu_mu -> nu_tau and nu_mu -> nu_s cases.
Annihilation radiation from supersymmetric particles at the Galactic center could be greatly enhanced if the dark matter density is peaked around the supermassive black hole. Arguments for and against the existence of density spikes are reviewed. Spikes are destroyed during mergers, and there is strong evidence for this effect in stellar density profiles. The dark matter spike at the Galactic center probably suffered this fate.
We investigate the prospects of indirect searches for supersymmetric neutralino dark matter. Relic neutralinos gravitationally accumulate in the Sun and their annihilations produce high energy neutrinos. Muon neutrinos of this origin can be seen in large detectors like AMANDA, IceCube and ANTARES. We evaluate the relic density and the detection rate in several models---the minimal supersymmetric model, minimal supergravity, and supergravity with non-universal Higgs boson masses at the grand unification scale. We make realistic estimates for the indirect detection rates including effects of the…
We investigate prospects for indirect detection of Kaluza--Klein dark matter, focusing on the annihilation radiation of the first Kaluza--Klein excitation of the Hypercharge gauge boson $B^{(1)}$ in the Galactic halo, in particular we estimate neutrino, gamma-ray and synchrotron fluxes. Comparing the predicted fluxes with observational data we are able to constrain the $B^{(1)}$ mass (and therefore the compactification scale). The constraints depend on the specific model adopted for the dark matter density profile. For a NFW profile the analysis of synchrotron radiation puts a lower bound on t…
We study the neutralino dark matter phenomenology in the context of effective field theories derived from the weakly--coupled heterotic string. We consider in particular direct detection and indirect detection with neutrino telescopes rates. The two cases of moduli dominated and dilaton dominated SUSY breaking lead to completely different phenomenologies. Even if in both cases relic density constraints can be fulfilled, moduli domination generically leads to detection rates which are much below the present and future experimental sensitivities, whereas dilaton domination gives high detection r…
We carry out a comparison between different kinds of experiments for the detection of neutralino dark matter. In particular, we compare the theoretical predictions for the direct detection of these particles, through their elastic scattering on target nuclei through nuclear recoils, with those for their indirect detection through the gamma rays produced by their annihilation in the galactic center. For the comparison we pay special attention to points which will be testable by very sensitive experiments, such as e.g. EDELWEISS II and GENIUS for direct detection, and GLAST for indirect detectio…
The annihilation signal of particle dark matter can be strongly enhanced in over-dense regions such as close to the Galactic centre. We summarize some of our recent results on fluxes of gamma-rays, neutrinos and radio waves under different assumptions for the largely uncertain dark matter profile which close to the Galactic centre is strongly influenced by the super-massive black hole. We apply this to two particle dark matter scenarios, namely the case of neutralinos in supersymmetric scenarios and the lowest Kaluza-Klein excitation of the hyper-charge gauge boson in scenarios where the Stand…
Despite compelling arguments that significant discoveries of physics beyond the standard model are likely to be made at the Large Hadron Collider, it remains possible that this machine will make no such discoveries, or will make no discoveries directly relevant to the dark matter problem. In this article, we study the ability of astrophysical experiments to deduce the nature of dark matter in such a scenario. In most dark matter studies, the relic abundance and detection prospects are evaluated within the context of some specific particle physics model or models (e.g. supersymmetry). Here, we …
If neutrino oscillation plays a role in explaining the atmospheric neutrino deficit, then the same phenomenon would necessarily affect also the dark matter indirect-detection signal which consists in a muon-neutrino flux produced by neutralino annihilation in the Earth core. In this paper we investigate to which extent the upgoing-muon signal originated by neutralinos captured inside the Earth would be affected by the presence of nu_mu -> nu_tau oscillation.
Various methods of searching for supersymmetric dark matter are sensitive to WIMPs with different properties. One consequence of this is that the phenomenology of dark matter detection can vary dramatically in different supersymmetric breaking scenarios. In this paper, we consider the sensitivities to supersymmetric dark matter of different detection methods and techniques in a wide variety of supersymmetric breaking scenarios. We discuss the ability of various astrophysical experiments, such as direct experiments, gamma-rays satellites, neutrino telescopes and positron and anti-proton cosmic …
In this review article the current status of particle dark matter is addressed. We discuss the main theoretical extensions of the standard model which allow to explain dark matter in terms of a (yet undiscovered) elementary particle. We then discuss the theoretical predictions for the searches of particle dark matter: direct detection in low background underground experiments and indirect detection of neutrinos, gamma-rays and antimatter with terrestrial and space-borne detectors. Attention will be placed also on the discussion of the uncertainties, mainly of astrophysical origin, which affect…
We argue that WIMP dark matter can annihilate via long-lived "WIMPonium" bound states in reasonable particle physics models of dark matter (DM). WIMPonium bound states can occur at or near threshold leading to substantial enhancements in the DM annihilation rate, closely related to the Sommerfeld effect. Large "boost factor" amplifications in the annihilation rate can thus occur without large density enhancements, possibly preferring colder less dense objects such as dwarf galaxies as locations for indirect DM searches. The radiative capture to and transitions among the WIMPonium states generi…
We study the possibility of identifying dark matter properties from direct (XENON100) and indirect (GLAST) detection experiments. In the same way, we examine the perspectives given by the next generation of colliders (ILC). All this analysis is done following a model-independent approach. We have shown that the three detection techniques can act in a highly complementary way. whereas direct detection experiments will probe efficiently light WIMPs, given a positive detection (at the 10% level for $m_χ \sim 50$ GeV), GLAST will be able to confirm and even increase the precision in the case of a …
The lightest neutralino of R-parity conserving supersymmetric models serves as a compelling candidate to account for the presence of cold dark matter in the universe. In the minimal supergravity (mSUGRA) model, a relic density can be found in accord with recent WMAP data for large values of the parameter $\tanβ$, where neutralino annihilation in the early universe occurs via the broad s-channel resonance of the pseudoscalar Higgs boson $A$. We map out rates for indirect detection of neutralinos via 1. detection of neutrinos arising from neutralino annihilation in the core of the earth or sun a…
An ever-increasing body of evidence suggests that weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) constitute the bulk of the matter in the Universe. We illustrate how experimental data, dimensional analysis and Standard Model particle physics are sufficient to evaluate and compare the potential of detectors searching for such particles either directly (e.g.\ by their scattering in germanium detectors), or indirectly (e.g.\ by observing their annihilation into neutrinos in underground detectors).
With an effective telescope area of order 10^4 m^2, a threshold of ~50 GeV and a pointing accuracy of 2.5 degrees, the AMANDA detector represents the first of a new generation of high energy neutrino telescopes, reaching a scale envisaged over 25 years ago. We describe its performance, focussing on the capability to detect halo dark matter particles via their annihilation into neutrinos.
Dark matter candidates arising in models of particle physics incorporating weak scale supersymmetry may produce detectable signals through their annihilation into neutrinos, photons, or positrons. A large number of relevant experiments are planned or underway. The `logically possible' parameter space is unwieldy. By working in the framework of minimal supergravity, we can survey the implications of the experiments for each other, as well as for direct searches, collider searches, low-energy experiments, and naturalness in a transparent fashion. We find that a wide variety of experiments provid…
