Search for a Dark Matter annihilation signal from the Galactic Center halo with H.E.S.S

H. E. S. S. Collaboration, A. Abramowski, F. Acero, F. Aharonian, A. G. Akhperjanian, G. Anton, A. Barnacka, U. Barres de Almeida, A. R. Bazer-Bachi, Y. Becherini, J. Becker, B. Behera, K. Bernlöhr, A. Bochow, C. Boisson, J. Bolmont, P. Bordas, V. Borrel, J. Brucker, F. Brun, P. Brun, T. Bulik, I. Büsching, S. Carrigan, S. Casanova, M. Cerruti, P. M. Chadwick, A. Charbonnier, R. C. G. Chaves, A. Cheesebrough, L. -M. Chounet, A. C. Clapson, G. Coignet, J. Conrad, M. Dalton, M. K. Daniel, I. D. Davids, B. Degrange, C. Deil, H. J. Dickinson, A. Djannati-Ataï, W. Domainko, L. O'C. Drury, F. Dubois, G. Dubus, J. Dyks, M. Dyrda, K. Egberts, P. Eger, P. Espigat, L. Fallon, C. Farnier, S. Fegan, F. Feinstein, M. V. Fernandes, A. Fiasson, G. Fontaine, A. Förster, M. Füßling, Y. A. Gallant, H. Gast, L. Gérard, D. Gerbig, B. Giebels, J. F. Glicenstein, B. Glück, P. Goret, D. Göring, J. D. Hague, D. Hampf, M. Hauser, S. Heinz, G. Heinzelmann, G. Henri, G. Hermann, J. A. Hinton, A. Hoffmann, W. Hofmann, P. Hofverberg, D. Horns, A. Jacholkowska, O. C. de Jager, C. Jahn, M. Jamrozy, I. Jung, M. A. Kastendieck, K. Katarzynski, U. Katz, S. Kaufmann, D. Keogh, M. Kerschhaggl, D. Khangulyan, B. Khélifi, D. Klochkov, W. Kluźniak, T. Kneiske, Nu. Komin, K. Kosack, R. Kossakowski, H. Laffon, G. Lamanna, D. Lennarz, T. Lohse, A. Lopatin, C. -C Lu, V. Marandon, A. Marcowith, J. Masbou, D. Maurin, N. Maxted, T. J. L. McComb, M. C. Medina, J. Méhault, R. Moderski, E. Moulin, C. L. Naumann, M. Naumann-Godo, M. de Naurois, D. Nedbal, D. Nekrassov, N. Nguyen, B. Nicholas, J. Niemiec, S. J. Nolan, S. Ohm, J-F. Olive, E. de Oña Wilhelmi, B. Opitz, M. Ostrowski, M. Panter, M. Paz Arribas, G. Pedaletti, G. Pelletier, P. -O. Petrucci, S. Pita, G. Pühlhofer, M. Punch, A. Quirrenbach, M. Raue, S. M. Rayner, A. Reimer, O. Reimer, M. Renaud, R. de los Reyes, F. Rieger, J. Ripken, L. Rob, S. Rosier-Lees, G. Rowell, B. Rudak, C. B. Rulten, J. Ruppel, F. Ryde, V. Sahakian, A. Santangelo, R. Schlickeiser, F. M. Schöck, A. Schönwald, U. Schwanke, S. Schwarzburg, S. Schwemmer, A. Shalchi, M. Sikora, J. L. Skilton, H. Sol, G. Spengler, Ł. Stawarz, R. Steenkamp, C. Stegmann, F. Stinzing, I. Sushch, A. Szostek, J. -P. Tavernet, R. Terrier, O. Tibolla, M. Tluczykont, K. Valerius, C. van Eldik, G. Vasileiadis, C. Venter, J. P. Vialle, A. Viana, P. Vincent, M. Vivier, H. J. Völk, F. Volpe, S. Vorobiov, M. Vorster, S. J. Wagner, M. Ward, A. Wierzcholska, A. Zajczyk, A. A. Zdziarski, A. Zech, H. -S. Zechlin

Published 2011-03-16Version 1

A search for a very-high-energy (VHE; >= 100 GeV) gamma-ray signal from self-annihilating particle Dark Matter (DM) is performed towards a region of projected distance r ~ 45-150 pc from the Galactic Center. The background-subtracted gamma-ray spectrum measured with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) gamma-ray instrument in the energy range between 300 GeV and 30 TeV shows no hint of a residual gamma-ray flux. Assuming conventional Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) and Einasto density profiles, limits are derived on the velocity-weighted annihilation cross section < \sigma v> as a function of the DM particle mass. These are among the best reported so far for this energy range. In particular, for the DM particle mass of ~1 TeV, values for <\sigma v> above 3 * 10^(-25) cm^3 s^(-1) are excluded for the Einasto density profile. The limits derived here differ much less for the chosen density profile parametrizations, as opposed to limits from gamma-ray observations of dwarf galaxies or the very center of the Milky Way, where the discrepancy is significantly larger.