Journal article
VERITAS SEARCH FOR VHE GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXIES
The Astrophysical journal, Vol.720(2), pp.1174-1180
2010
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/720/2/1174
Abstract
Indirect dark matter searches with ground-based gamma-ray observatories provide an alternative for identifying the particle nature of dark matter that is complementary to that of direct search or accelerator production experiments. We present the results of observations of the dwarf spheroidal galaxies Draco, Ursa Minor, Boötes 1, and Willman 1 conducted by the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS). These galaxies are nearby dark matter dominated objects located at a typical distance of several tens of kiloparsecs for which there are good measurements of the dark matter density profile from stellar velocity measurements. Since the conventional astrophysical background of very high energy gamma rays from these objects appears to be negligible, they are good targets to search for the secondary gamma-ray photons produced by interacting or decaying dark matter particles. No significant gamma-ray flux above 200 GeV was detected from these four dwarf galaxies for a typical exposure of ∼20 hr. The 95% confidence upper limits on the integral gamma-ray flux are in the range (0.4–2.2) × 10−12photonscm−2 s−1. We interpret this limiting flux in the context of pair annihilation of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) and derive constraints on the thermally averaged product of the total self-annihilation cross section and the relative velocity of the WIMPs (〈σv〉 ≲ 10−23 cm3 s−1 for mχ ≳ 300 GeV c−2). This limit is obtained under conservative assumptions regarding the dark matter distribution in dwarf galaxies and is approximately 3 orders of magnitude above the generic theoretical prediction for WIMPs in the minimal supersymmetric standard model framework. However, significant uncertainty exists in the dark matter distribution as well as the neutralino cross sections which under favorable assumptions could further lower this limit.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- VERITAS SEARCH FOR VHE GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXIES
- Creators
- V. A Acciari - Harvard UniversityT Arlen - University of California, Los AngelesA Cannon - University College DublinA Cesarini - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayJ. L Christiansen - California Polytechnic State UniversityL Ciupik - Adler PlanetariumW Cui - Purdue University West LafayetteR Dickherber - Washington University in St. LouisC Duke - Grinnell CollegeJ. P Finley - Purdue University West LafayetteG Finnegan - University of UtahA Furniss - University of California, Santa CruzT Aune - University of California, Santa CruzN Galante - Harvard UniversityS Godambe - University of UtahJ Grube - Adler PlanetariumR Guenette - McGill UniversityG Gyuk - Adler PlanetariumD Hanna - McGill UniversityJ Holder - University of DelawareC. M Hui - University of UtahT. B Humensky - University of ChicagoA Imran - Iowa State UniversityM Beilicke - Washington University in St. LouisP Kaaret - University of IowaN Karlsson - Adler PlanetariumM Kertzman - DePauw UniversityD Kieda - University of UtahA Konopelko - Pittsburg State UniversityH Krawczynski - Washington University in St. LouisF Krennrich - Iowa State UniversityG Maier - McGill UniversityS Mcarthur - Washington University in St. LouisA Mccann - McGill UniversityW Benbow - Harvard UniversityM Mccutcheon - McGill UniversityP Moriarty - Galway-Mayo Institute of TechnologyR. A Ong - University of California, Los AngelesA. N Otte - University of California, Santa CruzD Pandel - University of IowaJ. S Perkins - Harvard UniversityM Pohl - Iowa State UniversityJ Quinn - University College DublinK Ragan - McGill UniversityL. C Reyes - University of ChicagoD Boltuch - University of DelawareP. T Reynolds - Cork Institute of TechnologyE Roache - Harvard UniversityH. J Rose - University of LeedsM Schroedter - Iowa State UniversityG. H Sembroski - Purdue University West LafayetteG DEMET SENTURK - Columbia UniversityA. W Smith - Argonne National LaboratoryD Steele - Adler PlanetariumS. P Swordy - University of ChicagoG Tesic - McGill UniversityS. M Bradbury - University of LeedsJ. H Buckley - Washington University in St. LouisV Bugaev - Washington University in St. LouisK Byrum - Argonne National Laboratory
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Astrophysical journal, Vol.720(2), pp.1174-1180
- DOI
- 10.1088/0004-637X/720/2/1174
- ISSN
- 0004-637X
- eISSN
- 1538-4357
- Publisher
- Institute of Physics (IOP)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2010
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984199775302771
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