Probing The Longest Dark Matter Lifetimes with the Line Emission Mapper

Journal Article · Fri Jun 30 04:00:00 EDT 2023 · TBD

OSTI ID:2202852

Krnjaic, Gordan ^[1]; Pinetti, Elena ^[2]

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1. Fermilab; Chicago U., KICP; Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr.
2. Fermilab; Chicago U., KICP

In the next decade, the proposed Line Emission Mapper (LEM) telescope concept is poised to revolutionize Galactic and extragalactic X-ray sensitivity. The instruments aboard LEM feature unprecedented eV scale energy resolution and an effective area of 1600 cm$^2$ at 0.5 keV. Such features are ideally suited to explore decaying dark matter candidates that predict X-ray signals, including axion-like particles and sterile neutrinos. We present the first forecast of LEM sensitivity to dark matter decays and find sensitivity to lifetimes beyond $$\sim 10^{32}$$ s in the keV range, surpassing current limits by several orders of magnitude. Notably, our results show that LEM will be the first ever instrument to probe such long dark matter lifetimes in any mass range for any decay channel.

• Research Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-07CH11359
• OSTI ID: 2202852
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB-23-455-T; arXiv:2307.00041; oai:inspirehep.net:2673901
• Journal Information: TBD, Journal Name: TBD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS