VERITAS limits on dark matter annihilation from dwarf galaxies
Abstract
Current cosmological models and data suggest the existence of a Cold Dark Matter (DM) component, however the nature of DM particles remains unknown. A favored candidate for DM is a Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) in the mass range from 50 GeV to greater than 10 TeV. Nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSph) are expected to contain a high density of Dark Matter with a low gamma-ray background, and are thus promising targets for the detection of secondary gamma rays at very high energies (VHE, E > 0.1 TeV) through the annihilation of WIMPS into SM particles. Presented here are recent VERITAS observations of dSph, including a deep exposure on Segue 1. Limits are derived for various annihilating and decaying dark matter particle models.
- Publication:
-
High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy: 5th International Meeting on High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy
- Pub Date:
- December 2012
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.4772353
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1210.4961
- Bibcode:
- 2012AIPC.1505..689G
- Keywords:
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- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy, Heidelberg, July 9-13, 2012