arXiv subjects

Dan Hooper

Publications and source records attributed to Dan Hooper.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

High Energy Positrons From Annihilating Dark Matter

Recent preliminary results from the PAMELA experiment indicate the presence of an excess of cosmic ray positrons above 10 GeV. In this letter, we consider possibility that this signal is the result of dark matter annihilations taking place in the halo of the Milky Way. Rather than focusing on a specific particle physics model, we take a phenomenological approach and consider a variety of masses and two-body annihilation modes, including W+W-, ZZ, b bbar, tau+ tau-, mu+ mu-, and e+e. We also consider a range of diffusion parameters consistent with current cosmic ray data. We find that a significant upturn in the positron fraction above 10 GeV is compatible with a wide range of dark matter annihilation modes, although very large annihilation cross sections and/or boost factors arising from inhomogeneities in the local dark matter distribution are required to produce the observed intensity of the signal. We comment on constraints from gamma rays, synchrotron emission, and cosmic ray antiproton measurements.

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arXiv2008

The New DAMA Dark-Matter Window and Energetic-Neutrino Searches

Recently, the DAMA/LIBRA collaboration has repeated and reinforced their claim to have detected an annual modulation in their signal rate, and have interpreted this observation as evidence for dark-matter particles at the 8.2 sigma confidence level. Furthermore, it has also been noted that the effects of channeling may enable a WIMP that scatters elastically via spin-independent interactions from nuclei to produce the signal observed by DAMA/LIBRA without exceeding the limits placed by CDMS, XENON, CRESST, CoGeNT and other direct-detection experiments. To accommodate this signal, however, the mass of the responsible dark-matter particle must be relatively light, m_{DM} \lsim 10 GeV. Such dark-matter particles will become captured by and annihilate in the Sun at very high rates, leading to a potentially large flux of GeV-scale neutrinos. We calculate the neutrino spectrum resulting from WIMP annihilations in the Sun and show that existing limits from Super-Kamiokande can be used to close a significant portion of the DAMA region, especially if the dark-matter particles produce tau leptons or neutrinos in a sizable fraction of their annihilations. We also determine the spin-dependent WIMP-nuclei elastic-scattering parameter space consistent with DAMA. The constraints from Super-Kamiokande on the spin-dependent scenario are even more severe--they exclude any self-annihilating WIMP in the DAMA region that annihilates 1% of the time or more to any combination of neutrinos, tau leptons, or charm or bottom quarks.

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arXiv2008

Neutralino Dark Matter as the Source of the WMAP Haze

Previously, it has been argued that the anomalous emission from the region around the Galactic Center observed by WMAP, known as the ``WMAP Haze'', may be the synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons and positrons produced in dark matter annihilations. In particular, the angular distribution, spectrum, and intensity of the observed emission are consistent with the signal expected to result from a WIMP with an electroweak-scale mass and an annihilation cross section near the value predicted for a thermal relic. In this article, we revisit this signal within the context of supersymmetry, and evaluate the parameter space of the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (CMSSM). We find that, over much of the supersymmetric parameter space, the lightest neutralino is predicted to possess the properties required to generate the WMAP Haze. In particular, the focus point, A-funnel, and bulk regions typically predict a neutralino with a mass, annihilation cross section, and dominant annihilation modes which are within the range required to produce the observed features of the WMAP Haze. The stau-coannihilation region, in contrast, is disfavored as an explanation for the origin of this signal.

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arXiv2008

Heavy Dark Matter Through the Higgs Portal

Motivated by Higgs Portal and Hidden Valley models, heavy particle dark matter that communicates with the supersymmetric Standard Model via pure Higgs sector interactions is considered. We show that a thermal relic abundance consistent with the measured density of dark matter is possible for masses up to $\sim 30\tev$. For dark matter masses above $\sim 1\tev$, non-perturbative Sommerfeld corrections to the annihilation rate are large, and have the potential to greatly affect indirect detection signals. For large dark matter masses, the Higgs-dark-matter-sector couplings are large and we show how such models may be given a UV completion within the context of so-called "Fat-Higgs" models. Higgs Portal dark matter provides an example of an attractive alternative to conventional MSSM neutralino dark matter that may evade discovery at the LHC, while still being within the reach of current and upcoming indirect detection experiments.

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arXiv2008

The Milky Way as a Kiloparsec-Scale Axionscope

Very high energy gamma-rays are expected to be absorbed by the extragalactic background light over cosmological distances via the process of electron-positron pair production. Recent observations of cosmologically distant gamma-ray emitters by ground based gamma-ray telescopes have, however, revealed a surprising degree of transparency of the universe to very high energy photons. One possible mechanism to explain this observation is the oscillation between photons and axion-like-particles (ALPs). Here we explore this possibility further, focusing on photon-ALP conversion in the magnetic fields in and around gamma-ray sources and in the magnetic field of the Milky Way, where some fraction of the ALP flux is converted back into photons. We show that this mechanism can be efficient in allowed regions of the ALP parameter space, as well as in typical configurations of the Galactic Magnetic Field. As case examples, we consider the spectrum observed from two HESS sources: 1ES1101-232 at redshift z=0.186 and H 2356-309 at z=0.165. We also discuss features of this scenario which could be used to distinguish it from standard or other exotic models.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Extracting the Gamma Ray Signal from Dark Matter Annihilation in the Galactic Center Region

The GLAST satellite mission will study the gamma ray sky with considerably greater exposure than its predecessor EGRET. In addition, it will be capable of measuring the arrival directions of gamma rays with much greater precision. These features each significantly enhance GLAST's potential for identifying gamma rays produced in the annihilations of dark matter particles. The combined use of spectral and angular information, however, is essential if the full sensitivity of GLAST to dark matter is to be exploited. In this paper, we discuss the separation of dark matter annihilation products from astrophysical backgrounds, focusing on the Galactic Center region, and perform a forecast for such an analysis. We consider both point-like and diffuse astrophysical backgrounds and model them using a point-spread-function for GLAST. While the results of our study depend on the specific characteristics of the dark matter signal and astrophysical backgrounds, we find that in many scenarios it is possible to successfully identify dark matter annihilation radiation, even in the presence of significant astrophysical backgrounds.

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arXiv2008

Strategies for Determining the Nature of Dark Matter

In this review, we discuss the role of the various experimental programs taking part in the broader effort to identify the particle nature of dark matter. In particular, we focus on electroweak scale dark matter particles and discuss a wide range of search strategies being carried out and developed to detect them. These efforts include direct detection experiments, which attempt to observe the elastic scattering of dark matter particles with nuclei, indirect detection experiments, which search for photons, antimatter and neutrinos produced as a result of dark matter annihilations, and collider searches for new TeV-scale physics. Each of these techniques could potentially provide a different and complementary set of information related to the mass, interactions and distribution of dark matter. Ultimately, it is hoped that these many different tools will be used together to conclusively identify the particle or particles that constitute the dark matter of our universe.

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arXiv2008

Constraining Supersymmetric Dark Matter With Synchrotron Measurements

The annihilations of neutralino dark matter (or other dark matter candidate) generate, among other Standard Model states, electrons and positrons. These particles emit synchrotron photons as a result of their interaction with the Galactic Magnetic Field. In this letter, we use the measurements of the WMAP satellite to constrain the intensity of this synchrotron emission and, in turn, the annihilation cross section of the lightest neutralino. We find this constraint to be more stringent than that provided by any other current indirect detection channel. In particular, the neutralino annihilation cross section must be less than ~ 3 x 10^-26 cm^3/s (1 x 10^25 cm^3/s) for 100 GeV (500 GeV) neutralinos distributed with an NFW halo profile. For the conservative case of an entirely flat dark matter distribution within the inner 8 kiloparsecs of the Milky Way, the constraint is approximately a factor of 30 less stringent. Even in this conservative case, synchrotron measurements strongly constrain, for example, the possibility of wino or higgsino neutralino dark matter produced non-thermally in the early universe.

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arXiv2008

Neutralino Dark Matter and Trilepton Searches in the MSSM

Searches for supersymmetry are among the most exciting physics goals at Run II of the Tevatron. In particular, in supersymmetric models with light charginos, neutralinos and sleptons, associated chargino--neutralino production can potentially be observed as multi-lepton events with missing energy. We discuss how, in the generic TeV-scale MSSM, the prospects for these chargino-neutralino searches are impacted by cosmological considerations, namely the neutralino relic abundance and direct detection limits. We also discuss what an observation of chargino-neutralino production at the Tevatron would imply for the prospects of future direct dark matter searches without assuming specific patterns of supersymmetry breaking.

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arXiv2007

Detecting Axion-Like Particles With Gamma Ray Telescopes

We propose that axion-like particles (ALPs) with a two-photon vertex, consistent with all astrophysical and laboratory bounds, may lead to a detectable signature in the spectra of high-energy gamma ray sources. This occurs as a result of gamma rays being converted into ALPs in the magnetic fields of efficient astrophysical accelerators according to the "Hillas criterion", such as jets of active galactic nuclei or hot spots of radio galaxies. The discovery of such an effect is possible by GLAST in the 1-100 GeV range and by ground based gamma ray telescopes in the TeV range.

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arXiv2007

High-energy neutrinos from astrophysical accelerators of cosmic ray nuclei

Ongoing experimental efforts to detect cosmic sources of high energy neutrinos are guided by the expectation that astrophysical accelerators of cosmic ray protons would also generate neutrinos through interactions with ambient matter and/or photons. However there will be a reduction in the predicted neutrino flux if cosmic ray sources accelerate not only protons but also significant number of heavier nuclei, as is indicated by recent air shower data. We consider plausible extragalactic sources such as active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts and starburst galaxies and demand consistency with the observed cosmic ray composition and energy spectrum at Earth after allowing for propagation through intergalactic radiation fields. This allows us to calculate the expected neutrino fluxes from the sources, normalised to the observed cosmic ray spectrum. We find that the likely signals are still within reach of next generation neutrino telescopes such as IceCube.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Indirect Searches For Dark Matter: Signals, Hints and Otherwise

For the SUSY 2007 conference, I was asked to review the topic of indirect searches for dark matter. As part of that talk, I summarized several observations which have been interpreted as the product of dark matter annihilations. In my contribution to the proceedings, I have decided to focus on this aspect of my talk. In particular, I will discuss the cosmic positron spectrum measured by HEAT, the 511 keV emission from the Galactic Bulge measured by INTEGRAL, the diffuse galactic and extragalactic gamma ray spectra measured by EGRET, and the microwave excess from the Galactic Center observed by WMAP.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2007

Spinless photon dark matter from two universal extra dimensions

We explore the properties of dark matter in theories with two universal extra dimensions, where the lightest Kaluza-Klein state is a spin-0 neutral particle, representing a six-dimensional photon polarized along the extra dimensions. Annihilation of this 'spinless photon' proceeds predominantly through Higgs boson exchange, and is largely independent of other Kaluza-Klein particles. The measured relic abundance sets an upper limit on the spinless photon mass of 500 GeV, which decreases to almost 200 GeV if the Higgs boson is light. The phenomenology of this dark matter candidate is strikingly different from Kaluza-Klein dark matter in theories with one universal extra dimension. Elastic scattering of the spinless photon with quarks is helicity suppressed, making its direct detection challenging, although possible at upcoming experiments. The prospects for indirect detection with gamma rays and antimatter are similar to those of neutralinos. The rates predicted at neutrino telescopes are below the sensitivity of next-generation experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2007

Prospects For Detecting Dark Matter With GLAST In Light Of The WMAP Haze

Observations by the WMAP experiment have identified an excess of microwave emission from the center of the Milky Way. It has previously been shown that this "WMAP Haze" could be synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons and positrons produced in the annihilations of dark matter particles. In particular, the intensity, spectrum and angular distribution of the WMAP Haze is consistent with an electroweak scale dark matter particle (such as a supersymmetric neutralino or Kaluza-Klein dark matter in models with universal extra dimensions) annihilating with a cross section on the order of sigma v~3x10^-26 cm^3/s and distributed with a cusped halo profile. No further exotic astrophysical or annihilation boost factors are required. If dark matter annihilations are in fact responsible for the observed Haze, then other annihilation products will also be produced, including gamma rays. In this article, we study the prospects for the GLAST satellite to detect gamma rays from dark matter annihilations in the Galactic Center region in this scenario. We find that by studying only the inner 0.1 degrees around the Galactic Center, GLAST will be able to detect dark matter annihilating to heavy quarks or gauge bosons over astrophysical backgrounds with 5sigma (3sigma) significance if they are lighter than approximately 320-500 GeV (500-750 GeV). If the angular window is broadened to study the dark matter halo profile's angular extension (while simultaneously reducing the astrophysical backgrounds), WIMPs as heavy as several TeV can be identified by GLAST with high significance. Only if the dark matter particles annihilate mostly to electrons or muons will GLAST be unable to identify the gamma ray spectrum associated with the WMAP Haze.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Predictions for the Cosmogenic Neutrino Flux in Light of New Data from the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO) has measured the spectrum and composition of the ultrahigh energy cosmic rays with unprecedented precision. We use these measurements to constrain their spectrum and composition as injected from their sources and, in turn, use these results to estimate the spectrum of cosmogenic neutrinos generated in their propagation through intergalactic space. We find that the PAO measurements can be well fit if the injected cosmic rays consist entirely of nuclei with masses in the intermediate (C, N, O) to heavy (Fe, Si) range. A mixture of protons and heavier species is also acceptable but (on the basis of existing hadronic interaction models) injection of pure light nuclei (p, He) results in unacceptable fits to the new elongation rate data. The expected spectrum of cosmogenic neutrinos can vary considerably, depending on the precise spectrum and chemical composition injected from the cosmic ray sources. In the models where heavy nuclei dominate the cosmic ray spectrum and few dissociated protons exceed GZK energies, the cosmogenic neutrino flux can be suppressed by up to two orders of magnitude relative to the all-proton prediction, making its detection beyond the reach of current and planned neutrino telescopes. Other models consistent with the data, however, are proton-dominated with only a small (1-10%) admixture of heavy nuclei and predict an associated cosmogenic flux within the reach of upcoming experiments. Thus a detection or non-detection of cosmogenic neutrinos can assist in discriminating between these possibilities.

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arXiv2007

Dark Matter and Collider Phenomenology of Universal Extra Dimensions

We review the phenomenology of models with flat, compactified extra dimensions where all of the Standard Model fields are allowed to propagate in the bulk, known as Universal Extra Dimensions (UED). UED make for an interesting TeV-scale physics scenario, featuring a tower of Kaluza-Klein (KK) states approximately degenerate in mass at the scale set by the inverse size of the compactification radius. KK parity, the four-dimensional remnant of momentum conservation in the extra dimensions, implies two basic consequences: (1) contributions to Standard Model observables arise only at loop level, and KK states can only be pair-produced at colliders, and (2) the lightest KK particle (LKP) is stable, providing a suitable particle dark matter candidate. After a theoretical overview on extra dimensional models, and on UED in particular, we introduce the model particle spectrum and the constraints from precision electroweak tests and current colliders data. We then give a detailed overview of the LKP dark matter phenomenology, including the LKP relic abundance, and direct and indirect searches. We then discuss the physics of UED at colliders, with particular emphasis on the signatures predicted for the Large Hadron Collider and at a future Linear Collider, as well as on the problem of discriminating between UED and other TeV-scale new physics scenarios, particularly supersymmetry. We propose a set of reference benchmark models, representative of different viable UED realizations. Finally, we collect in the Appendix all the relevant UED Feynman rules, the scattering cross sections for annihilation and coannihilation processes in the early universe and the production cross section for strongly interacting KK states at hadron colliders.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2007

Angular Signatures of Dark Matter in the Diffuse Gamma Ray Background

Dark matter annihilating in our Galaxy's halo and elsewhere in the universe is expected to generate a diffuse flux of gamma rays, potentially observable with next generation satellite-based experiments, such as GLAST. In this article, we study the signatures of dark matter in the angular distribution of this radiation, in particular the deterministic ones. Pertaining to the extragalactic contribution, we discuss the effect of the motion of the solar system with respect to the cosmological rest frame, and anisotropies due to the structure of our local universe. For the gamma ray flux from dark matter in our own Galactic halo, we discuss the effects of the offset position of the solar system, the Compton-Getting effect, the asphericity of the Milky Way halo, and the signatures of nearby substructure. We explore the prospects for the detection of these features by the GLAST satellite and find that, if ~10% or more of the diffuse gamma ray background observed by EGRET is the result of dark matter annihilations, then GLAST should be sensitive to anisotropies at the sub-percent level. Such precision would be sufficient to detect many, if not all, of the signatures discussed in this paper.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Evidence Of Dark Matter Annihilations In The WMAP Haze

The WMAP experiment has revealed an excess of microwave emission from the region around the center of our Galaxy. It has been suggested that this signal, known as the ``WMAP Haze'', could be synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons and positrons generated in dark matter annihilations. In this letter, we revisit this possibility. We find that the angular distribution of the WMAP Haze matches the prediction for dark matter annihilations with a cusped density profile, $ρ(r) \propto r^{-1.2}$ in the inner kiloparsecs. Comparing the intensity in different WMAP frequency bands, we find that a wide range of possible WIMP annihilation modes are consistent with the spectrum of the haze for a WIMP with a mass in the 100 GeV to multi-TeV range. Most interestingly, we find that to generate the observed intensity of the haze, the dark matter annihilation cross section is required to be approximately equal to the value needed for a thermal relic, $σv \sim 3 \times 10^{-26}$ cm$^3$/s. No boost factors are required. If dark matter annihilations are in fact responsible for the WMAP Haze, and the slope of the halo profile continues into the inner Galaxy, GLAST is expected to detect gamma rays from the dark matter annihilations in the Galactic Center if the WIMP mass is less than several hundred GeV.

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