Solar gamma rays powered by secluded dark matter

Journal Article · Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.81.075004· OSTI ID:21431035

Batell, Brian; Yanwen, Shang ^[1]; Pospelov, Maxim ^[1]; Ritz, Adam ^[2]

---

1. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario, N2J 2W9 (Canada)
2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8P 1A1 (Canada)

Secluded dark matter models, in which weakly interacting massive particles annihilate first into metastable mediators, can present novel indirect detection signatures in the form of gamma rays and fluxes of charged particles arriving from directions correlated with the centers of large astrophysical bodies within the Solar System, such as the Sun and larger planets. This naturally occurs if the mean free path of the mediator is in excess of the solar (or planetary) radius. We show that existing constraints from water Cerenkov detectors already provide a novel probe of the parameter space of these models, complementary to other sources, with significant scope for future improvement from high angular resolution gamma-ray telescopes such as Fermi-LAT. Fluxes of charged particles produced in mediator decays are also capable of contributing a significant solar system component to the spectrum of energetic electrons and positrons, a possibility which can be tested with the directional and timing information of PAMELA and Fermi.

• OSTI ID: 21431035
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 81, Issue 7; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.81.075004; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ASTROPHYSICS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHERENKOV COUNTERS
GAMMA RADIATION
MEAN FREE PATH
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
PARTICLE DECAY
POSITRONS
RESOLUTION
SPACE
SPECTRA
SUN
TAIL ELECTRONS
TELESCOPES
WEAK INTERACTIONS
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
BASIC INTERACTIONS
DECAY
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
INTERACTIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MATTER
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PHYSICS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATIONS
STARS