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Search for Gamma-Ray Spectral Lines from Dark Matter Annihilation with the H.E.S.S. Inner Galaxy Survey

F. Aharonian1,2, H. Ashkar3, V. Barbosa Martins4, R. Batzofin5, Y. Becherini6, D. Berge4,7, K. Bernlöhr2, M. Böttcher8, C. Boisson9 et al. (H.E.S.S. Collaboration)

C. Boisson9, J. Bolmont10, F. Brun11, B. Bruno12, T. Bulik13, C. Burger-Scheidlin1, S. Casanova14, J. Celic12, M. Cerruti6, A. Chen15, M. Chernyakova16,1, J. O. Chibueze8,17, O. Chibueze8, B. Cornejo11, G. Cotter18, J. de Assis Scarpin3, M. de Bony de Lavergne11,19, M. de Naurois3, E. de Oña Wilhelmi4, A. G. Delgado Giler7, J. Djuvsland2, A. Dmytriiev8, K. Egberts5, K. Egg12, C. Escañuela Nieves2, M. D. Filipovic20, G. Fontaine3, S. Funk12, S. Gabici6, J. F. Glicenstein11, J. Glombitza12, P. Goswami21, B. Hess22, J. A. Hinton2, W. Hofmann2, T. L. Holch4, M. Holler23, M. Jamrozy24, F. Jankowsky21, I. Jaroschewski11, I. Jung-Richardt12, K. Kasprzak24, K. Katarzyński25, D. Kerszberg10, B. Khélifi6, N. Komin26,15, K. Kosack11, D. Kostunin4, R. G. Lang12, S. Lazarević20, A. Lemière6, J.-P. Lenain10, P. Liniewicz24, A. Luashvili8, J. Mackey1, D. Malyshev22, D. Malyshev12, V. Marandon11, M. Meyer12, A. Mehta4, A. M. W. Mitchell12, R. Moderski27, L. Mohrmann2, A. Montanari21,*, E. Moulin11,*, J. Niemiec14, L. Olivera-Nieto2, M. O. Moghadam5, S. Panny23, R. D. Parsons7, U. Pensec10, G. Pühlhofer22, A. Quirrenbach21, M. Regeard6, A. Reimer23, O. Reimer23, I. Reis11, H. Ren2, B. Reville2, F. Rieger2, G. Roellinghoff12, G. Rowell28, B. Rudak27, K. Sabri26, V. Sahakian29, H. Salzmann22, A. Santangelo22, M. Sasaki12, F. Schüssler11, J. N. S. Shapopi17, W. Si Said3, S. Spencer12, Ł. Stawarz24, S. Steinmassl2, T. Takahashi30, T. Tanaka31, A. M. Taylor4, G. L. Taylor21, T. Unbehaun12, C. van Eldik12, M. Vecchi32, C. Venter8, J. Vink33, T. Wach12, S. J. Wagner21, A. Wierzcholska14,21, M. Zacharias21,8, A. Zech9, W. Zhong4, and F. Bradascio34 (H.E.S.S. Collaboration)

  • 1Astronomy and Astrophysics Section, School of Cosmic Physics, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, DIAS Dunsink Observatory, Dublin D15 XR2R, Ireland
  • 2Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, P.O. Box 103980, D 69029 Heidelberg, Germany
  • 3Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, École polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, F-91128 Palaiseau, France
  • 4Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Platanenallee 6, 15738 Zeuthen, Germany
  • 5Institut für Physik und Astronomie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24/25, D 14476 Potsdam, Germany
  • 6Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Astroparticule et Cosmologie, F-75013 Paris, France
  • 7Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstraße 15, D 12489 Berlin, Germany
  • 8Centre for Space Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
  • 9LUX, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 5 Pl. Jules Janssen, 92190 Meudon, France
  • 10Sorbonne Université, CNRS/IN2P3, Laboratoire de Physique Nuclaire, et de Hautes Energies, LPNHE, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
  • 11IRFU, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
  • 12Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Straße 2, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
  • 13Astronomical Observatory, The University of Warsaw, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warsaw, Poland
  • 14Instytut Fizyki Jadrowej PAN, ul. Radzikowskiego 152, ul. Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, Poland
  • 15School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, 1 Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
  • 16School of Physical Sciences and Centre for Astrophysics and Relativity, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin D09 W6Y4, Ireland
  • 17University of Namibia, Department of Physics, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek 10005, Namibia
  • 18University of Oxford, Department of Physics, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, Unite Kingdom
  • 19Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/IN2P3, CPPM, Marseille, France
  • 20School of Science, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 2751, Australia
  • 21Landessternwarte, Universität Heidelberg, Königstuhl, D 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
  • 22Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik, Universität Tübingen, Sand 1, D 72076 Tübingen, Germany
  • 23Universität Innsbruck, Institut für Astro- und Teilchenphysik, Technikerstrae 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  • 24Obserwatorium Astronomiczne, Uniwersytet Jagielloski, ul. Orla 171, 30-244 Kraków, Poland
  • 25Institute of Astronomy, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
  • 26Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier, Université Montpellier, CNRS/IN2P3, CC 72, Place Eugne Bataillon, F-34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
  • 27Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Bartycka 18, 00-716 Warsaw, Poland
  • 28School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
  • 29Yerevan Physics Institute, 2 Alikhanian Brothers Street, 0036 Yerevan, Armenia
  • 30Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), Japan
  • 31Department of Physics, Konan University, 8-9-1 Okamoto, Higashinada, Kobe, Hyogo 658-8501, Japan
  • 32Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Landleven 12, 9747 AD Groningen, The Netherlands
  • 33GRAPPA, Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 34Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS/IN2P3, IJCLab, Orsay, France

  • *Contact author: contact.hess@hess-experiment.eu
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 091002 – Published 27 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/d8tj-55kc

Abstract

Spectral gamma-ray line features are expected as key signatures from dark matter (DM) annihilations of TeV-scale particle DM. Observations of the Galactic Center with atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes are unique to probe thermal-relic TeV particle DM, well beyond the reach of direct detection and collider searches. We report here on the search for line signals in very-high-energy gamma rays using data from the Inner Galaxy Survey, consisting of 546 hours of H.E.S.S. observations of the inner few degrees of the Galactic Center. No significant signal is detected. We then compute the exclusion limits on the annihilation line cross section ⟨σv⟩line, with two-dimensional log-likelihood ratio test statistics, exploiting spectral and spatial features of the DM signal. Assuming an Einasto DM density profile for the Milky Way, our results provide the most constraining limits so far, reaching ⟨σv⟩line=2.3×10−28 and 2.4×10−27  cm3 s−1 for DM masses of 1 and 10 TeV, respectively. The present limits are used to constrain the widely searched Wino, Higgsino. and Quintuplet models. For the first time, thermal Higgsino DM is probed for DM Milky Way models.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 091002– Published 27 August, 2026
  • Received 16 June 2025
  • Revised 13 April 2026
  • Accepted 1 July 2026
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