arXiv Analytics

Sign in

arXiv:1603.00965 [astro-ph.HE]AbstractReferencesReviewsResources

Search for Gamma-ray Emission from Dark Matter Annihilation in the Small Magellanic Cloud with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

Regina Caputo, Matthew R. Buckley, Pierrick Martin, Eric Charles, Alyson M. Brooks, Alex Drlica-Wagner, Jennifer M. Gaskins, Matthew Wood

Published 2016-03-03Version 1

The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is the second-largest satellite galaxy of the Milky Way and is only 60 kpc away. As a nearby, massive, and dense object with relatively low astrophysical backgrounds, it is a natural target for dark matter indirect detection searches. In this work, we use six years of Pass 8 data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope to search for gamma-ray signals of dark matter annihilation in the SMC. Using data-driven fits to the gamma-ray backgrounds, and a combination of N-body simulations and direct measurements of rotation curves to estimate the SMC DM density profile, we found that the SMC was well described by standard astrophysical sources, and no signal from dark matter annihilation was detected. We set conservative upper limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section. These constraints are in agreement with stronger constraints set by searches in the Large Magellanic Cloud and approach the canonical thermal relic cross section at dark matter masses lower than 10 GeV in the $b\bar{b}$ and $\tau^+\tau^-$ channels.

Related articles: Most relevant | Search more
arXiv:1502.01020 [astro-ph.HE] (Published 2015-02-03, updated 2015-04-15)
Search for Gamma-ray Emission from Dark Matter Annihilation in the Large Magellanic Cloud with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
arXiv:1611.03184 [astro-ph.HE] (Published 2016-11-10)
Searching for Dark Matter Annihilation in Recently Discovered Milky Way Satellites with Fermi-LAT
arXiv:1405.1030 [astro-ph.HE] (Published 2014-05-05, updated 2014-06-30)
Searching for Dark Matter Annihilation in the Smith High-Velocity Cloud