GLAST Sensitivity to Point Sources of Dark Matter Annihilation

Abstract

We study the prospects for detecting gamma-rays from point sources of Dark Matter annihilation with the space satellite GLAST. We simulate the instrument response to the gamma-ray spectrum arising from the annihilation of common Dark Matter candidates, and derive full-sky sensitivity maps for the detection of point sources and for the identification of the Dark Matter (as opposed to astrophysical) origin of the gamma-ray emission. These maps represent a powerful tool to assess the detectability of point sources, i.e. sources with angular size smaller than the angular resolution of GLAST, ∆θ ∼ 0.1 • , in any DM scenario. As an example, we apply the obtained results to the so-called mini-spikes scenario, where the annihilation signal originates from large Dark Matter overdensities around Intermediate Mass Black Holes. We find that if these objects exist in the Galaxy, not only GLAST should be able to detect them over a timescale as short as 2 months, but in many cases it should be possible to determine with good accuracy the mass of the annihilating Dark Matter particles, while null searches would place stringent constraints on this scenario.

Diffuse galactic gamma rays at intermediate and high latitudes. I. Constraints on the ISM properties

“…early Universe relics which have a small but finite probability of annihilating in pairs and produce multi-GeV (or -TeV) yields (for a recent review on WIMP dark matter, see, e.g. [3]; the issue of probing and constraining dark matter models with Fermi -LAT data was recently discussed, e.g., [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]). Suggestions of an improvement in the fit of Fermi γ-ray data at intermediate latitudes taking into account the spectral hardening due to a signal from annihilating dark matter have already been proposed in the literature, see, e.g., [12].…”

QG phenomenology constraints potentialities of next space gamma-ray experiments

“…All the others annihilation process will give also π 0 that will decay in a continuum gamma-ray flux. Studies has been carried out [24,25] and are under way [27] to show that in this way a large number of supersymmetric models can be tested. This effort will be complementary to a similar search for neutralinos looking with cosmicray experiments like the next space experiments PAMELA [28] and AMS [29] at the distortion of the secondary positron fraction and secondary antiproton flux induced by a signal from a heavy neutralino.…”