Resolving Cosmic Gamma Ray Anomalies with Dark Matter Decaying Now

Journal Article · Fri Nov 09 04:00:00 UTC 2007 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.99.191301· OSTI ID:21024405

Cembranos, Jose A. R.; Feng, Jonathan L; Strigari, Louis E ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697 (United States)

Dark matter particles need not be completely stable, and in fact they may be decaying now. We consider this possibility in the frameworks of universal extra dimensions and supersymmetry with very late decays of weakly interacting massive particles to Kaluza-Klein gravitons and gravitinos. The diffuse photon background is a sensitive probe, even for lifetimes far greater than the age of the Universe. Remarkably, both the energy spectrum and flux of the observed MeV {gamma}-ray excess may be simultaneously explained by decaying dark matter with MeV mass splittings. Future observations of continuum and line photon fluxes will test this explanation and may provide novel constraints on cosmological parameters.

• OSTI ID: 21024405
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 19 Vol. 99; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COSMIC PHOTONS
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
ENERGY SPECTRA
GAMMA RADIATION
GRAVITONS
KALUZA-KLEIN THEORY
LIFETIME
MASS
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
SUPERSYMMETRY
UNIVERSE