- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine

Physical Review D

Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Letter
  • Open Access

γ rays from in-flight positron annihilation as a probe of new physics

Pedro De la Torre Luque1,2,3,*, Shyam Balaji4,†, Pierluca Carenza3,‡, and Leonardo Mastrototaro5,6,§

  • *Contact author: pedro.delatorre@uam.es
  • †Contact author: shyam.balaji@kcl.ac.uk
  • ‡Contact author: pierluca.carenza@fysik.su.se
  • §Contact author: lmastrototaro@unisa.it
PDF

Phys. Rev. D 111, L061303 – Published 7 March, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.111.L061303

Abstract

The γ-ray emission originating from in-flight annihilation (IA) of positrons is a powerful observable for constraining high-energy positron production from exotic sources. By comparing diffuse γ-ray observations of INTEGRAL, COMPTEL, and EGRET to theoretical predictions, we set the most stringent constraints on electrophilic feebly interacting particles, thereby proving IA as a valuable probe of new physics. In particular, we extensively discuss the case of MeV-scale sterile neutrinos, where IA sets the most stringent constraints, excluding |Uμ4|2≳10−13 and |Uτ4|2≳2×10−13 for sterile neutrinos mixed with μ and τ neutrinos, respectively. These constraints improve existing limits by more than an order of magnitude. We briefly discuss the application of these results to a host of exotic positron sources such as dark photons, axionlike particles, primordial black holes, and sub-GeV dark matter.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

Supplemental Material

References (104)

  1. T. Siegert, R. Diehl, G. Khachatryan, M. G. H. Krause, F. Guglielmetti, J. Greiner, A. W. Strong, and X. Zhang, Astron. Astrophys. 586, A84 (2016).
  2. C. A. Kierans et al., Astrophys. J. 895, 44 (2020).
  3. N. Prantzos et al., Rev. Mod. Phys. 83, 1001 (2011).
  4. C. A. Kierans et al., arXiv:1903.05569.
  5. T. Siegert, Astrophys. Space Sci. 368, 27 (2023).
  6. A. Badertscher, P. Crivelli, W. Fetscher, U. Gendotti, S. N. Gninenko, V. Postoev, A. Rubbia, V. Samoylenko, and D. Sillou, Phys. Rev. D 75, 032004 (2007).
  7. S. Gabici, C. Evoli, D. Gaggero, P. Lipari, P. Mertsch, E. Orlando, A. Strong, and A. Vittino, Int. J. Mod. Phys. D 28, 1930022 (2019).
  8. P. D. l. T. Luque, S. Balaji, and P. Carenza, Phys. Rev. D 109, L101305 (2024).
  9. P. De la Torre Luque, S. Balaji, and P. Carenza, Phys. Rev. D 109, 103028 (2024).
  10. J. Koechler, Proc. Sci. TAUP2023 (2024) 044 [arXiv:2309.10043].
  11. P. De la Torre Luque, S. Balaji, and J. Silk, Astrophys. J. Lett. 973, L6 (2024).
  12. P. De la Torre Luque, S. Balaji, and J. Koechler, Astrophys. J. 968, 46 (2024).
  13. J. F. Beacom and H. Yuksel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 071102 (2006).
  14. P. De La Torre Luque, dragon2_Optimized_DM&Antinuclei (Zenodo, 2023), 10.5281/zenodo.10076728.
  15. C. Evoli, D. Gaggero, A. Vittino, G. Di Bernardo, M. Di Mauro, A. Ligorini, P. Ullio, and D. Grasso, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 02 (2017) 015.
  16. C. Evoli, D. Gaggero, A. Vittino, M. Di Mauro, D. Grasso, and M. N. Mazziotta, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 07 (2018) 006.
  17. V. L. Ginzburg and S. I. Syrovatskii, The Origin of Cosmic Rays (Gordon & Breach Publishing Group, New York, 1969).
  18. K. Ferriere, W. Gillard, and P. Jean, Astron. Astrophys. 467, 611 (2007).
  19. M. Aguilar et al., Phys. Rep. 894, 1 (2021), the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) on the International Space Station: Part II—Results from the First Seven Years.
  20. M. Aguilar et al. (AMS Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 021101 (2018).
  21. M. Aguilar et al. (AMS Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 141102 (2013).
  22. W. Webber, A. Lukasiak, and F. Mcdonald, Astrophys. J. 568, 210 (2002).
  23. E. C. Stone, A. C. Cummings, F. B. McDonald, B. C. Heikkila, N. Lal, and W. R. Webber, Science 341, 150 (2013).
  24. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10076728
  25. J. Knödlseder, P. Jean, V. Lonjou, G. Weidenspointner, N. Guessoum, W. Gillard, G. Skinner, P. von Ballmoos, G. Vedrenne, J.-P. Roques, S. Schanne, B. Teegarden, V. Schönfelder, and C. Winkler, Astron. Astrophys. 441, 513 (2005).
  26. N. Guessoum, R. Ramaty, and R. E. Lingenfelter, Astrophys. J. 378, 170 (1991).
  27. P. A. M. Dirac, Math. Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 26, 361 (1930).
  28. J. M. Cordes and T. J. W. Lazio, arXiv:astro-ph/0301598.
  29. J. M. Cordes and T. J. W. Lazio, arXiv:astro-ph/0207156.
  30. F. Calore, P. Carenza, M. Giannotti, J. Jaeckel, G. Lucente, and A. Mirizzi, Phys. Rev. D 104, 043016 (2021).
  31. F. Calore, P. Carenza, M. Giannotti, J. Jaeckel, G. Lucente, L. Mastrototaro, and A. Mirizzi, Phys. Rev. D 105, 063026 (2022).
  32. P. Carenza, G. Lucente, L. Mastrototaro, A. Mirizzi, and P. D. Serpico, Phys. Rev. D 109, 063010 (2024).
  33. P. Jean, J. Knodlseder, W. Gillard, N. Guessoum, K. Ferriere, A. Marcowith, V. Lonjou, and J. P. Roques, Astron. Astrophys. 445, 579 (2006).
  34. See Supplemental Material at http://link.aps.org/supplemental/10.1103/PhysRevD.111.L061303 for cross sections of positron annihilation as a function of the energies of the photon produced and incident positron can be seen in Ref. [35–56].
  35. N. Guessoum, P. Jean, and W. Gillard, Astron. Astrophys. 436, 171 (2005).
  36. C. J. Crannell, G. Joyce, R. Ramaty, and C. Werntz, Astrophys. J. 210, 582 (1976).
  37. X. Shi and G. Sigl, Phys. Lett. B 323, 360 (1994); 324, 516(E) (1994).
  38. H. Nunokawa, J. T. Peltoniemi, A. Rossi, and J. W. F. Valle, Phys. Rev. D 56, 1704 (1997).
  39. K. Abazajian, G. M. Fuller, and M. Patel, Phys. Rev. D 64, 023501 (2001).
  40. J. Hidaka and G. M. Fuller, Phys. Rev. D 74, 125015 (2006).
  41. J. Hidaka and G. M. Fuller, Phys. Rev. D 76, 083516 (2007).
  42. G. M. Fuller, A. Kusenko, and K. Petraki, Phys. Lett. B 670, 281 (2009).
  43. A. M. Suliga, I. Tamborra, and M.-R. Wu, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 12 (2019) 019.
  44. M. L. Warren, M. Meixner, G. Mathews, J. Hidaka, and T. Kajino, Phys. Rev. D 90, 103007 (2014).
  45. M. Warren, G. J. Mathews, M. Meixner, J. Hidaka, and T. Kajino, Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 31, 1650137 (2016).
  46. V. Syvolap, O. Ruchayskiy, and A. Boyarsky, Phys. Rev. D 106, 015017 (2022).
  47. T. Rembiasz, M. Obergaulinger, M. Masip, M. A. Pérez-García, M.-A. Aloy, and C. Albertus, Phys. Rev. D 98, 103010 (2018).
  48. A. Ray and Y.-Z. Qian, Phys. Rev. D 108, 063025 (2023).
  49. T. Asaka, S. Blanchet, and M. Shaposhnikov, Phys. Lett. B 631, 151 (2005).
  50. T. Asaka and M. Shaposhnikov, Phys. Lett. B 620, 17 (2005).
  51. A. Mezzacappa and S. W. Bruenn, Astrophys. J. 405, 669 (1993).
  52. M. Liebendoerfer, O. E. B. Messer, A. Mezzacappa, S. W. Bruenn, C. Y. Cardall, and F. K. Thielemann, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 150, 263 (2004).
  53. W. DeRocco, P. W. Graham, D. Kasen, G. Marques-Tavares, and S. Rajendran, J. High Energy Phys. 02 (2019) 171.
  54. W. Li, R. Chornock, J. Leaman, A. V. Filippenko, D. Poznanski, X. Wang, M. Ganeshalingam, and F. Mannucci, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 412, 1473 (2011).
  55. L. Bouchet, A. W. Strong, T. A. Porter, I. V. Moskalenko, E. Jourdain, and J.-P. Roques, Astrophys. J. 739, 29 (2011).
  56. A. Ore and J. L. Powell, Phys. Rev. 75, 1696 (1949).
  57. P. de la Torre Luque, M. N. Mazziotta, A. Ferrari, F. Loparco, P. Sala, and D. Serini, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 07 (2022) 008.
  58. P. De la Torre Luque, F. Loparco, and M. N. Mazziotta, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 10 (2023) 011.
  59. G. Lanfranchi, M. Pospelov, and P. Schuster, Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 71, 279 (2021).
  60. P. Agrawal et al., Eur. Phys. J. C 81, 1015 (2021).
  61. S. Alekhin et al., Rep. Prog. Phys. 79, 124201 (2016).
  62. C. Antel et al., Eur. Phys. J. C 83, 1122 (2023).
  63. G. Raffelt and D. Seckel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 60, 1793 (1988).
  64. W. Keil, H.-T. Janka, D. N. Schramm, G. Sigl, M. S. Turner, and J. R. Ellis, Phys. Rev. D 56, 2419 (1997).
  65. P. Carenza, T. Fischer, M. Giannotti, G. Guo, G. Martínez-Pinedo, and A. Mirizzi, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 10 (2019) 016; 05 (2020) E01.
  66. P. Carenza, B. Fore, M. Giannotti, A. Mirizzi, and S. Reddy, Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 071102 (2021).
  67. A. Caputo, G. Raffelt, and E. Vitagliano, Phys. Rev. D 105, 035022 (2022).
  68. A. Lella, P. Carenza, G. Lucente, M. Giannotti, and A. Mirizzi, Phys. Rev. D 107, 103017 (2023).
  69. A. Lella, P. Carenza, G. Co’, G. Lucente, M. Giannotti, A. Mirizzi, and T. Rauscher, Phys. Rev. D 109, 023001 (2024).
  70. S. Balaji, P. S. B. Dev, J. Silk, and Y. Zhang, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 12 (2022) 024.
  71. S. Balaji, M. E. Ramirez-Quezada, J. Silk, and Y. Zhang, Phys. Rev. D 107, 083038 (2023).
  72. P. S. B. Dev, J.-F. Fortin, S. P. Harris, K. Sinha, and Y. Zhang, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 01 (2022) 006.
  73. P. S. B. Dev, R. N. Mohapatra, and Y. Zhang, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 05 (2021) 014.
  74. P. S. B. Dev, R. N. Mohapatra, and Y. Zhang, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 08 (2020) 003; 11 (2020) E01.
  75. S. Bottaro, A. Caputo, G. Raffelt, and E. Vitagliano, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 07 (2023) 071.
  76. E. W. Kolb, R. N. Mohapatra, and V. L. Teplitz, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 3066 (1996).
  77. G. G. Raffelt and S. Zhou, Phys. Rev. D 83, 093014 (2011).
  78. L. Mastrototaro, A. Mirizzi, P. D. Serpico, and A. Esmaili, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 01 (2020) 010.
  79. J. H. Chang, R. Essig, and S. D. McDermott, J. High Energy Phys. 01 (2017) 107.
  80. C. S. Shin and S. Yun, Phys. Rev. D 108, 055014 (2023).
  81. W. DeRocco, P. W. Graham, D. Kasen, G. Marques-Tavares, and S. Rajendran, J. High Energy Phys. 02 (2019) 171.
  82. L. Bouchet, E. Jourdain, J. P. Roques, A. Strong, R. Diehl, F. Lebrun, and R. Terrier, Astrophys. J. 679, 1315 (2008).
  83. T. Siegert, J. Berteaud, F. Calore, P. D. Serpico, and C. Weinberger, Astron. Astrophys. 660, A130 (2022).
  84. S. C. Kappadath, Ph.D. thesis, University of New Hampshire, 1998.
  85. A. W. Strong, I. V. Moskalenko, and O. Reimer, Astrophys. J. 613, 962 (2004).
  86. J. W. Foster, M. Kongsore, C. Dessert, Y. Park, N. L. Rodd, K. Cranmer, and B. R. Safdi, Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 051101 (2021).
  87. A. W. Strong, K. Bennett, H. Bloemen, R. Diehl, W. Hermsen, D. Morris, V. Schoenfelder, J. G. Stacy, C. de Vries, M. Varendorff, C. Winkler, and G. Youssefi, Astron. Astrophys. 292, 82 (1994).
  88. A. Merle, Sterile Neutrino Dark Matter (IOP, San Rafael, 2017).
  89. A. Boyarsky, M. Drewes, T. Lasserre, S. Mertens, and O. Ruchayskiy, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 104, 1 (2019).
  90. K. N. Abazajian et al., arXiv:1204.5379.
  91. K. N. Abazajian and A. Kusenko, Phys. Rev. D 100, 103513 (2019).
  92. P. D. Bolton, F. F. Deppisch, and P. S. Bhupal Dev, J. High Energy Phys. 03 (2020) 170.
  93. N. Sabti, A. Magalich, and A. Filimonova, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 11 (2020) 056.
  94. A. Boyarsky, M. Ovchynnikov, O. Ruchayskiy, and V. Syvolap, Phys. Rev. D 104, 023517 (2021).
  95. L. Mastrototaro, P. D. Serpico, A. Mirizzi, and N. Saviano, Phys. Rev. D 104, 016026 (2021).
  96. U. Heinbach and M. Simon, Astrophys. J. 441, 209 (1995).
  97. A. W. Strong and I. V. Moskalenko, Astrophys. J. 509, 212 (1998).
  98. E.-S. Seo and V. S. Ptuskin, Astrophys. J. 431, 705 (1994).
  99. C. A. Argüelles, V. Brdar, and J. Kopp, Phys. Rev. D 99, 043012 (2019).
  100. A. M. Suliga, I. Tamborra, and M.-R. Wu, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 08 (2020) 018.
  101. G. Gelmini, S. Palomares-Ruiz, and S. Pascoli, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 081302 (2004).
  102. G. Gelmini, E. Osoba, S. Palomares-Ruiz, and S. Pascoli, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 10 (2008) 029.
  103. M. Ovchynnikov, Ph.D. thesis, Leiden University, 2021.
  104. J. F. Beacom, N. F. Bell, and G. Bertone, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 171301 (2005).

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. D 111, L061303– Published 7 March, 2025
  • Received 23 May 2024
  • Accepted 6 February 2025
Crossmark - Check for updates button
Creative Commons Logo

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.

Published by the American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation