Abstract
Satellite galaxies of the Milky Way are among the most promising targets for dark matter searches in gamma rays. We present a search for dark matter consisting of weakly interacting massive particles, applying a joint likelihood analysis to 10 satellite galaxies with 24 months of data of the Fermi Large Area Telescope. No dark matter signal is detected. Including the uncertainty in the dark matter distribution, robust upper limits are placed on dark matter annihilation cross sections. The confidence level upper limits range from about at 5 GeV to about at 1 TeV, depending on the dark matter annihilation final state. For the first time, using gamma rays, we are able to rule out models with the most generic cross section ( for a purely -wave cross section), without assuming additional boost factors.
- Received 18 August 2011
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.241302
© 2011 American Physical Society
Synopsis
Gamma Rays Carry No Trace of Dark Matter
Published 8 December 2011
The observation of nearby galaxies provides new and stronger limits on dark matter.
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