Possible Dark Matter Annihilation Signal in the AMS-02 Antiproton Data
Abstract
Using the latest AMS-02 cosmic-ray antiproton flux data, we search for a potential dark matter annihilation signal. The background parameters about the propagation, source injection, and solar modulation are not assumed a priori but based on the results inferred from the recent B / C ratio and proton data measurements instead. The possible dark matter signal is incorporated into the model self-consistently under a Bayesian framework. Compared with the astrophysical background-only hypothesis, we find that a dark matter signal is favored. The rest mass of the dark matter particles is ∼20 - 80 GeV , and the velocity-averaged hadronic annihilation cross section is about (0.2 - 5 )×10-26 cm3 s-1 , in agreement with that needed to account for the Galactic center GeV excess and/or the weak GeV emission from dwarf spheroidal galaxies Reticulum 2 and Tucana III. Tight constraints on the dark matter annihilation models are also set in a wide mass region.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- May 2017
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.191101
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1610.03840
- Bibcode:
- 2017PhRvL.118s1101C
- Keywords:
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- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena;
- High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
- E-Print:
- 4 pages + 3 pages (supplemental material)