arXiv subjects

Christoph Weniger

Publications and source records attributed to Christoph Weniger.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

Gamma Ray Signals from Dark Matter: Concepts, Status and Prospects

Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) remain a prime candidate for the cosmological dark matter (DM), even in the absence of current collider signals that would unambiguously point to new physics below the TeV scale. The self-annihilation of these particles in astronomical targets may leave observable imprints in cosmic rays of various kinds. In this review, we focus on gamma rays which we argue to play a pronounced role among the various possible messengers. We discuss the most promising spectral and spatial signatures to look for, give an update on the current state of gamma-ray searches for DM and an outlook concerning future prospects. We also assess in some detail the implications of a potential signal identification for particle DM models as well as for our understanding of structure formation. Special emphasis is put on the possible evidence for a 130 GeV line-like signal that was recently identified in the data of the Fermi gamma-ray space telescope.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

The Boltzmann Equation from Quantum Field Theory

We show from first principles the emergence of classical Boltzmann equations from relativistic nonequilibrium quantum field theory as described by the Kadanoff-Baym equations. Our method applies to a generic quantum field, coupled to a collection of background fields and sources, in a homogeneous and isotropic spacetime. The analysis is based on analytical solutions to the full Kadanoff-Baym equations, using the WKB approximation. This is in contrast to previous derivations of kinetic equations that rely on similar physical assumptions, but obtain approximate equations of motion from a gradient expansion in momentum space. We show that the system follows a generalized Boltzmann equation whenever the WKB approximation holds. The generalized Boltzmann equation, which includes off-shell transport, is valid far from equilibrium and in a time dependent background, such as the expanding universe.

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arXiv2012

Tentative observation of a gamma-ray line at the Fermi LAT

Using 43 months of public gamma-ray data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope, we find in regions close to the Galactic center at energies of 130 GeV a 4.6 sigma excess that is not inconsistent with a gamma-ray line from dark matter annihilation. When taking into account the look-elsewhere effect, the significance of the observed signature is 3.2 sigma. If interpreted in terms of dark matter particles annihilating into a photon pair, the observations imply a partial annihilation cross-section of about 10^-27 cm^3s^-1 and a dark matter mass around 130 GeV. We review aspects of the statistical analysis and comment on possible instrumental indications.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

Is the 130 GeV Line Real? A Search for Systematics in the Fermi-LAT Data

Our recent claims of a Galactic center feature in Fermi-LAT data at approximately 130 GeV have prompted an avalanche of papers proposing explanations ranging from dark matter annihilation to exotic pulsar winds. Because of the importance of such interpretations for physics and astrophysics, a discovery will require not only additional data, but a thorough investigation of possible LAT systematics. While we do not have access to the details of each event reconstruction, we do have information about each event from the public event lists and spacecraft parameter files. These data allow us to search for suspicious trends that could indicate a spurious signal. We consider several hypotheses that might make an instrumental artifact more apparent at the Galactic center, and find them implausible. We also search for an instrumental signature in the Earth limb photons, which provide a smooth reference spectrum for null tests. We find no significant 130 GeV feature in the Earth limb sample. However, we do find a marginally significant 130 GeV feature in Earth limb photons with a limited range of detector incidence angles. This raises concerns about the 130 GeV Galactic center feature, even though we can think of no plausible model of instrumental behavior that connects the two. A modest amount of additional limb data would tell us if the limb feature is a statistical fluke. If the limb feature persists, it would raise doubts about the Pass 7 processing of E > 100 GeV events. At present we find no instrumental systematics that could plausibly explain the excess Galactic center emission at 130 GeV.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

A Tentative Gamma-Ray Line from Dark Matter Annihilation at the Fermi Large Area Telescope

The observation of a gamma-ray line in the cosmic-ray fluxes would be a smoking-gun signature for dark matter annihilation or decay in the Universe. We present an improved search for such signatures in the data of the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), concentrating on energies between 20 and 300 GeV. Besides updating to 43 months of data, we use a new data-driven technique to select optimized target regions depending on the profile of the Galactic dark matter halo. In regions close to the Galactic center, we find a 4.6 sigma indication for a gamma-ray line at 130 GeV. When taking into account the look-elsewhere effect the significance of the observed excess is 3.2 sigma. If interpreted in terms of dark matter particles annihilating into a photon pair, the observations imply a dark matter mass of 129.8\pm2.4^{+7}_{-13} GeV and a partial annihilation cross-section of <σv> = 1.27\pm0.32^{+0.18}_{-0.28} x 10^-27 cm^3 s^-1 when using the Einasto dark matter profile. The evidence for the signal is based on about 50 photons; it will take a few years of additional data to clarify its existence.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Investigating Gamma-Ray Lines from Dark Matter with Future Observatories

We study the prospects for studying line features in gamma-ray spectra with upcoming gamma-ray experiments, such as HESS-II, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), and the GAMMA-400 satellite. As an example we use the narrow feature at 130 GeV seen in public data from the Fermi-LAT satellite. We found that all three experiments should be able to confidently confirm or rule out the presence of this 130 GeV feature. If it is real, it should be confirmed with a confidence level higher than 5 sigma. Assuming it to be a spectral signature of dark matter origin, GAMMA-400, thanks to a projected energy resolution of about 1.5% at 100 GeV, should also be able to resolve both the γγ-line and a corresponding Zγ- or Hγ-feature, if the corresponding branching ratio is comparable to that into two photons. It will also allow to distinguish between a gamma-ray line and the similar feature resulting from internal bremsstrahlung photons.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Indirect dark matter searches as a probe of degenerate particle spectra

We consider the possibility that the cosmological dark matter consists of particles very close in mass to new colored particles below the TeV scale. While such a scenario is inherently difficult to directly confirm at colliders, we find that indirect dark matter searches may be a powerful alternative. In particular, we show that in this case dark matter annihilation to quark-quark-gluon final states can give rise to significant antiproton (but also gamma-ray) fluxes, and compare the resulting constraints to bounds from direct searches at LEP, the Tevatron and the LHC. For supersymmetric neutralinos degenerate with squarks, e.g., antiprotons can give rise to more stringent constraints for masses below around 45-80 GeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Probing Dark Matter Decay and Annihilation with Fermi LAT Observations of Nearby Galaxy Clusters

Galaxy clusters are promising targets for indirect dark matter searches. Gamma-ray signatures from the decay or annihilation of dark matter particles inside these clusters could be observable with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). Based on three years of Fermi LAT gamma-ray data, we analyze the flux coming from eight nearby clusters individually as well as in a combined likelihood analysis. Concentrating mostly on signals from dark matter decay, we take into account uncertainties of the cluster masses as determined by X-ray observations and model the cluster emission as extended sources. Searching for different hadronic and leptonic decay and annihilation spectra, we do not find significant emission from any of the considered clusters and present limits on the dark matter lifetime and annihilation cross-section. We compare our lifetime limits derived from cluster observations with the limits that can be obtained from the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGBG), and find that in case of hadronic decay the cluster limits become competitive at dark matter masses below a few hundred GeV. In case of leptonic decay, however, galaxy cluster limits are stronger than the limits from the EGBG over the full considered mass range. Finally, we show that in presence of dark matter substructures down to 10^-6 solar masses the limits on the dark matter annihilation cross-section could improve by a factor of a few hundred, possibly going down to the thermal cross-section of 3 10^-26 cm^3 s^-1 for dark matter masses < 150 GeV and annihilation into $b\bar{b}$. As a direct application of our results, we derive limits on the lifetime of gravitino dark matter in scenarios with R-parity violation. Implications of these limits for the possible observation of long-lived superparticles at the LHC are discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

On the Relevance of Sharp Gamma-Ray Features for Indirect Dark Matter Searches

Gamma rays from the annihilation of dark matter particles in the Galactic halo provide a particularly promising means of indirectly detecting dark matter. Here, we demonstrate that pronounced spectral features at energies near the dark matter particles' mass, which are a generic prediction for most models, can significantly improve the sensitivity of gamma-ray telescopes to dark matter signals. We derive projected limits on such features (including the traditionally looked-for line signals) and show that they can be much more efficient in constraining the nature of dark matter than the model-independent broad spectral features expected at lower energies.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Spectral cutoffs in indirect dark matter searches

Indirect searches for dark matter annihilation or decay products in the cosmic-ray spectrum are plagued by the question of how to disentangle a dark matter signal from the omnipresent astrophysical background. One of the practically background-free smoking-gun signatures for dark matter would be the observation of a sharp cutoff or a pronounced bump in the gamma-ray energy spectrum. Such features are generically produced in many dark matter models by internal Bremsstrahlung, and they can be treated in a similar manner as the traditionally looked-for gamma-ray lines. Here, we discuss prospects for seeing such features with present and future Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Galaxy Clusters and Gamma-Ray Lines: Probing Gravitino Dark Matter with the Fermi LAT

If dark matter particles are not perfectly stable, their decay products might be seen in the cosmic-ray fluxes. A natural candidate for decaying dark matter is the gravitino in R-parity violating scenarios. In the relevant GeV-TeV energy range, the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) is now measuring cosmic gamma-ray fluxes with an unprecedented precision. We use the Fermi LAT gamma-ray data to search for signatures from gravitino dark matter particles, concentrating on gamma-ray lines and galaxy cluster observations. Implications of our results for the decay length of the next-to-lightest superparticle, which could be seen at the LHC in the near future, are discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

Hunting Dark Matter Gamma-Ray Lines with the Fermi LAT

Monochromatic photons could be produced in the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles. At high energies, the search for such line features in the cosmic gamma-ray spectrum is essentially background free because plausible astrophysical processes are not expected to produce such a signal. The observation of a gamma-ray line would hence be a `smoking-gun' signature for dark matter, making the search for such signals particularly attractive. Among the different dark matter models predicting gamma-ray lines, the local supersymmetric extension of the standard model with small R-parity violation and gravitino LSP is of particular interest because it provides a framework where primordial nucleosynthesis, gravitino dark matter and thermal leptogenesis are naturally consistent. Using the two-years Fermi LAT data, we present a dedicated search for gamma-ray lines coming from dark matter annihilation or decay in the Galactic halo. Taking into account the full detector response, and using a binned profile likelihood method, we search for significant line features in the energy spectrum of the diffuse flux observed in different regions of the sky. No evidence for a line signal at the 5-sigma level is found for photon energies between 1 and 300 GeV, and conservative bounds on dark matter decay rates and annihilation cross sections are presented. Implications for gravitino dark matter in presence of small R-parity violation are discussed, as well as the impact of our results on the prospect for seeing long-lived neutralinos or staus at the LHC.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Gamma-Ray Lines from Radiative Dark Matter Decay

The decay of dark matter particles which are coupled predominantly to charged leptons has been proposed as a possible origin of excess high-energy positrons and electrons observed by cosmic-ray telescopes PAMELA and Fermi LAT. Even though the dark matter itself is electrically neutral, the tree-level decay of dark matter into charged lepton pairs will generically induce radiative two-body decays of dark matter at the quantum level. Using an effective theory of leptophilic dark matter decay, we calculate the rates of radiative two-body decays for scalar and fermionic dark matter particles. Due to the absence of astrophysical sources of monochromatic gamma rays, the observation of a line in the diffuse gamma-ray spectrum would constitute a strong indication of a particle physics origin of these photons. We estimate the intensity of the gamma-ray line that may be present in the energy range of a few TeV if the dark matter decay interpretation of the leptonic cosmic-ray anomalies is correct and comment on observational prospects of present and future Imaging Cherenkov Telescopes, in particular the CTA.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Supersymmetric leptogenesis and light hidden sectors

Thermal leptogenesis and supergravity are attractive scenarios for physics beyond the standard model. However, it is well known that the super-weak interaction of the gravitino often leads to problems with primordial nucleosynthesis in the standard scenario of matter parity conserving MSSM + three right-handed neutrinos. We will present and compare two related solutions to these problems: 1) The conflict between BBN and leptogenesis can be avoided in presence of a hidden sector with light supersymmetric particles which open new decay channels for the dangerous long-lived particles. 2) If there is a condensate in the hidden sector, such additional decay channels can be alternatively opened by dynamical breaking of matter parity in the hidden sector.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Dynamical Matter-Parity Breaking and Gravitino Dark Matter

Scenarios where gravitinos with GeV masses make up dark matter are known to be in tension with high reheating temperatures, as required by e.g. thermal leptogenesis. This tension comes from the longevity of the NLSPs, which can destroy the successful predictions of the standard primordial nucleosynthesis. However, a small violation of matter parity can open new decay channels for the NLSP, avoiding the BBN problems, while being compatible with experimental cosmic-ray constraints. In this paper, we propose a model where matter parity, which we assume to be embedded in the U(1)_{B-L} gauge symmetry, is broken dynamically in a hidden sector at low scales. This can naturally explain the smallness of the matter parity breaking in the visible sector. We discuss the dynamics of the corresponding pseudo Nambu--Goldstone modes of B-L breaking in the hidden sector, and we comment on typical cosmic-ray and collider signatures in our model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Supersymmetric Leptogenesis with a Light Hidden Sector

Supersymmetric scenarios incorporating thermal leptogenesis as the origin of the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry generically predict abundances of the primordial elements which are in conflict with observations. In this paper we propose a simple way to circumvent this tension and accommodate naturally thermal leptogenesis and primordial nucleosynthesis. We postulate the existence of a light hidden sector, coupled very weakly to the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, which opens up new decay channels for the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle, thus diluting its abundance during nucleosynthesis. We present a general model-independent analysis of this mechanism as well as two concrete realizations, and describe the relevant cosmological and astrophysical bounds and implications for this dark matter scenario. Possible experimental signatures at colliders and in cosmic-ray observations are also discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Constraining Decaying Dark Matter with Fermi LAT Gamma-rays

High energy electrons and positrons from decaying dark matter can produce a significant flux of gamma rays by inverse Compton off low energy photons in the interstellar radiation field. This possibility is inevitably related with the dark matter interpretation of the observed PAMELA and FERMI excesses. The aim of this paper is providing a simple and universal method to constraint dark matter models which produce electrons and positrons in their decay by using the Fermi LAT gamma-ray observations in the energy range between 0.5 GeV and 300 GeV. We provide a set of universal response functions that, once convolved with a specific dark matter model produce the desired constraint. Our response functions contain all the astrophysical inputs such as the electron propagation in the galaxy, the dark matter profile, the gamma-ray fluxes of known origin, and the Fermi LAT data. We study the uncertainties in the determination of the response functions and apply them to place constraints on some specific dark matter decay models that can well fit the positron and electron fluxes observed by PAMELA and Fermi LAT. To this end we also take into account prompt radiation from the dark matter decay. We find that with the available data decaying dark matter cannot be excluded as source of the PAMELA positron excess.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Intense Gamma-Ray Lines from Hidden Vector Dark Matter Decay

Scenarios with hidden, spontaneously broken, non-abelian gauge groups contain a natural dark matter candidate, the hidden vector, whose longevity is due to an accidental custodial symmetry in the renormalizable Lagrangian. Nevertheless, non-renormalizable dimension six operators break the custodial symmetry and induce the decay of the dark matter particle at cosmological times. We discuss in this paper the cosmic ray signatures of this scenario and we show that the decay of hidden vector dark matter particles generically produce an intense gamma ray line which could be observed by the Fermi-LAT experiment, if the scale of custodial symmetry breaking is close to the Grand Unification scale. This gamma line proceeds directly from a tree level dark matter 2-body decay in association with a Higgs boson. Within this model we also perform a determination of the relic density constraints taking into account the dark matter annihilation processes with one dark matter particle in the final state. The corresponding direct detection rates can be easily of order the current experimental sensitivities.

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