GLAST And Dark Matter Substructure in the Milky Way
We discuss the possibility of GLAST detecting gamma-rays from the annihilation of neutralino dark matter in the Galactic halo. We have used 'Via Lactea', currently the highest resolution simulation of cold dark matter substructure, to quantify the contribution of subhalos to the annihilation signal. We present a simulated allsky map of the expected gamma-ray counts from dark matter annihilation, assuming standard values of particle mass and cross section. In this case GLAST should be able to detect the Galactic center and several individual subhalos. One of the most exciting discoveries that the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) could make, is the detection of gamma-rays from the annihilation of dark matter (DM). Such a measurement would directly address one of the major physics problems of our time: the nature of the DM particle. Whether or not GLAST will actually detect a DM annihilation signal depends on both unknown particle physics and unknown astrophysics theory. Particle physics uncertainties include the type of particle (axion, neutralino, Kaluza-Klein particle, etc.), its mass, and its interaction cross section. From the astrophysical side it appears that DM is not smoothly distributed throughout the Galaxy halo, but instead exhibits abundant clumpy substructure, in the form of thousands of so-called subhalos. The observability of DM annihilation radiation originating in Galactic DM subhalos depends on their abundance, distribution, and internal properties. Numerical simulations have been used in the past to estimate the annihilation flux from DM substructure, but since the subhalo properties, especially their central density profile, which determines their annihilation luminosity, are very sensitive to numerical resolution, it makes sense to re-examine their contribution with higher resolution simulations.
- Research Organization:
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76SF00515
- OSTI ID:
- 1030533
- Report Number(s):
- SLAC-PUB-14798; arXiv:0704.0944; TRN: US1105990
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conf.Proc.921:135-138,2007, Conference: Prepared for 1st GLAST Symposium, Stanford, Palo Alto, 5-8 Feb 2007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ABUNDANCE
ANNIHILATION
ASTROPHYSICS
CROSS SECTIONS
DETECTION
DISTRIBUTION
LUMINOSITY
MILKY WAY
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
PHYSICS
RADIATIONS
RESOLUTION
SIMULATION
TELESCOPES
Astrophysics
ASTRO