Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation

    Legacy analysis of dark matter annihilation from the Milky Way dwarf spheroidal galaxies with 14 years of Fermi-LAT data

    Alex McDaniel* and Marco Ajello

    Christopher M. Karwin

    Mattia Di Mauro

    Alex Drlica-Wagner

    Miguel A. Sánchez-Conde

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29631, USA

    • NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA

    • Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy

    • Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, Illinois 60510, USA; Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA; and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois 60637, USA

    • Instituto de Física Teórica, IFT UAM-CSIC, Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, ES-28049 Madrid, Spain

    • *armcdan@clemson.edu

    Phys. Rev. D 109, 063024 – Published 19 March, 2024

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.109.063024

    Abstract

    The Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies (dSphs) are particularly intriguing targets to search for gamma rays from weakly interacting massive particle dark matter (DM) annihilation or decay. They are nearby, DM-dominated, and lack significant emission from standard astrophysical processes. Previous studies using the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) of DM-induced emission from dSphs have provided the most robust and stringent constraints on the DM annihilation cross section and mass. We report here an analysis of the Milky Way dSphs using over 14 years of LAT data along with an updated census of dSphs and J-factor estimates. While no individual dSphs are significantly detected, we do find slight excesses with respect to background at the ≳2σ local significance level in both tested annihilation channels (bb¯, τ+τ−) for seven of the dSphs. We do not find a significant DM signal from the combined likelihood analysis of the dSphs (sglobal∼0.5σ), yet a marginal local excess relative to background at a 2–3σ level is observed at a DM mass of Mχ=150–230  GeV (Mχ=30–50  GeV) for DM annihilation into bb¯ (τ+τ−). Given the lack of a significant detection, we place updated constraints on the bb¯ and τ+τ− annihilation channels that are generally consistent with previous recent results. As in past studies, tension is found with some weakly interacting massive particle DM interpretations of the Galactic Center Excess, though the limits are consistent with other interpretations given the uncertainties of the Galactic DM density profile and Galactic Center Excess systematics. Based on conservative assumptions of improved sensitivity with increased Fermi-LAT exposure time and moderate increases in the sample of Milky Way dSphs, we project that the local ∼2σ signal, if real, could approach the ∼4σ local confidence level with additional ∼10  years of observation.

    Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

    Authorization Required

    We need you to provide your credentials before accessing this content.

    References (Subscription Required)

    Outline

    Information

    Sign In to Your Journals Account

    Filter

    Filter

    Article Lookup

    Enter a citation