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Unidentified Line in X-Ray Spectra of the Andromeda Galaxy and Perseus Galaxy Cluster

A. Boyarsky, O. Ruchayskiy, D. Iakubovskyi, and J. Franse
Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 251301 – Published 15 December 2014
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Abstract

We report a weak line at 3.52±0.02keV in x-ray spectra of the Andromeda galaxy and the Perseus galaxy cluster observed by the metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) and p-n (PN) CCD cameras of the XMM-Newton telescope. This line is not known as an atomic line in the spectra of galaxies or clusters. It becomes stronger towards the centers of the objects; is stronger for Perseus than for M31; is absent in the spectrum of a deep “blank sky” data set. Although for each object it is hard to exclude that the feature is due to an instrumental effect or an atomic line, it is consistent with the behavior of a dark matter decay line. Future (non-)detections of this line in multiple objects may help to reveal its nature.

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  • Received 28 February 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.251301

© 2014 American Physical Society

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X-Ray Line May Have Dark Matter Origin

Published 15 December 2014

An x-ray feature recently detected by different astronomy groups may be the long-awaited signature of dark matter.

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Authors & Affiliations

A. Boyarsky1, O. Ruchayskiy2, D. Iakubovskyi3,4, and J. Franse1,5

  • 1Instituut-Lorentz for Theoretical Physics, Universiteit Leiden, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, Netherlands
  • 2Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, FSB/ITP/LPPC, BSP, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
  • 3Bogolyubov Institute of Theoretical Physics, Metrologichna Street 14-b, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
  • 4National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, Skovorody Street 2, 04070 Kyiv, Ukraine
  • 5Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, Netherlands

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Issue

Vol. 113, Iss. 25 — 19 December 2014

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