A Multi-Wavelength Analysis of Annihilating Dark Matter as the Origin of the Gamma-Ray Emission from M31

Abstract

[Abridged] Indirect detection of dark matter (DM) by multi-wavelength astronomical observations provides a promising avenue for probing the particle nature of DM. In the case of DM consisting of Weakly-Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), self-annihilation ultimately produces observable products including $e^{\pm }$ pairs and gamma rays. The gamma rays can be detected directly, while the $e^{\pm }$ pairs can be detected by radio emission from synchrotron radiation or X-rays and soft gamma rays from inverse Compton scattering. An intriguing region to search for astrophysical signs of DM is the Galactic center (GC) of the Milky Way, due in part to an observed excess of gamma-rays that could be DM. A recent observation by the Fermi-LAT collaboration of a similar excess in the central region of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) leads us to explore the possibility of a DM-induced signal there as well. We use the RX-DMFIT tool to perform a multi-frequency analysis of potential DM annihilation emissions in M31. We consider WIMP models consistent with the GC excess and calculate the expected emission across the electromagnetic spectrum in comparison with available observational data from M31. We find that the particle models that best fit the M31 excess favor lower masses than the GC excess. The best fitting models are for a $b\bar{b}$ final state with $M_{\chi }=11$ GeV and $⟨\sigma v⟩=2.6\times 10^{-26}$ cm${}^3$s${}^{-1}$, as well as an evenly mixed $b\bar{b}/{\tau }^{+}{\tau }^{-}$ final state with $M_{\chi }=5.8$ GeV and $⟨\sigma v⟩=2.03\times 10^{-26}$ cm${}^3$s${}^{-1}$. For conservative estimates of the diffusion and magnetic field models the expected radio emissions appear to be in tension with currently available data in the central region of M31, although this constraint has a fairly strong dependence on the values chosen for parameters describing the magnetic field strength and geometry.

arXiv comment11 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, Added Table 2 and Figure 4, added galactic center contours to Figure 3, split section VA, some changes to text, Accepted to Phys. Rev D

References in corpus (50)

• A Universal Density Profile from Hierarchical Clustering
• The Structure of Cold Dark Matter Halos
• Particle Dark Matter: Evidence, Candidates and Constraints
• Supersymmetric Dark Matter
• Cosmic-ray propagation and interactions in the Galaxy
• Searching for Dark Matter Annihilation from Milky Way Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies with Six Years of Fermi-LAT Data
• Dark Matter Annihilation in The Galactic Center As Seen by the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope
• Precise Relic WIMP Abundance and its Impact on Searches for Dark Matter Annihilation
• The Characterization of the Gamma-Ray Signal from the Central Milky Way: A Compelling Case for Annihilating Dark Matter
• Dark Matter and Pulsar Model Constraints from Galactic Center Fermi-LAT Gamma Ray Observations
• The Fermi Galactic Center GeV Excess and Implications for Dark Matter
• Astrophysical and Dark Matter Interpretations of Extended Gamma-Ray Emission from the Galactic Center
• Positron Propagation and Fluxes from Neutralino Annihilation in the Halo
• Strong support for the millisecond pulsar origin of the Galactic center GeV excess
• A Tale of Tails: Dark Matter Interpretations of the Fermi GeV Excess in Light of Background Model Systematics
• Multi-frequency analysis of neutralino dark matter annihilations in the Coma cluster
• Inverse Compton Origin of the Hard X-Ray and Soft Gamma-Ray Emission from the Galactic Ridge
• Possible Evidence For Dark Matter Annihilation In The Inner Milky Way From The Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope
• The long bar as seen by the VVV survey: I. Colour-magnitude diagrams
• Stellar mass map and dark matter distribution in M31
• The Luminosity Profile and Structural Parameters of the Andromeda Galaxy
• Dark Matter Evidence, Particle Physics Candidates and Detection Methods
• Testing the Origin of High-Energy Cosmic Rays
• Detecting dark matter WIMPs in the Draco dwarf: a multi-wavelength perspective
• Inverse Compton constraints on the Dark Matter e+e- excesses
• Disrupted Globular Clusters Can Explain the Galactic Center Gamma Ray Excess
• Wild at Heart:-The Particle Astrophysics of the Galactic Centre
• Multi-wavelength signals of dark matter annihilations at the Galactic center
• The Galactic Center GeV Excess from a Series of Leptonic Cosmic-Ray Outbursts
• The magnetic field of M31 from multi-wavelength radio polarization observations
• Dark Halos of M31 and the Milky Way
• Observations of M31 and M33 with the Fermi Large Area Telescope: a galactic center excess in Andromeda?
• Towards a realistic astrophysical interpretation of the gamma-ray Galactic center excess
• A Deep Search for Extended Radio Continuum Emission From Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies: Implications for Particle Dark Matter
• Bright gamma-ray Galactic Center excess and dark dwarfs: Strong tension for dark matter annihilation despite Milky Way halo profile
• Searching for Dark Matter with X-ray Observations of Local Dwarf Galaxies
• Constraints on Dark Matter Annihilation in Clusters of Galaxies from Diffuse Radio Emission
• Constraints on dark matter annihilation by radio observations of M31
• Multiwavelength Analysis of Dark Matter Annihilation and RX-DMFIT
• Bounds on Dark Matter Properties from Radio Observations of Ursa Major II using the Green Bank Telescope
• Galactic Center Radio Constraints on Gamma-Ray Lines from Dark Matter Annihilation
• Synchrotron Emission from Dark Matter Annihilation: Predictions for Constraints from Non-detections of Galaxy Clusters with New Radio Surveys
• Putting Things Back Where They Belong: Tracing Cosmic-Ray Injection with H2
• Polarized synchrotron radiation from the Andromeda Galaxy M31 and background sources at 350 MHz
• The magnetic field structure of the central region in M31
• Constraints on the dark matter annihilation from Fermi-LAT observation of M31
• Revisiting the constraints on annihilating dark matter by radio observational data of M31
• Multi-wavelength Searches for Particle Dark Matter
• Dark Matter Detection with Hard X-ray Telescopes
• A Multi-frequency analysis of possible Dark Matter Contributions to M31 Gamma-Ray Emissions

Cited by in corpus (22)

• The EMU view of the Large Magellanic Cloud: Troubles for sub-TeV WIMPs
• Dark Matter Interpretation of the Fermi-LAT Observations Toward the Outer Halo of M31
• Ruling out $\sim 100-300$ GeV thermal relic annihilating dark matter by radio observation of the Andromeda galaxy
• Hunting for Dark Matter and New Physics with GECCO
• Radio constraints on dark matter annihilation in Canes Venatici I with LOFAR
• Exploring A Cosmic-Ray Origin of the Multi-wavelength Emission in M31
• Universal profiles for radio searches of dark matter in dwarf galaxies
• Constraints on dark matter annihilation from the Event Horizon Telescope Observations of M87${}^{\star }$
• TeV Dark Matter Searches in the Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Sky
• Millisecond pulsars and the gamma-ray excess in Andromeda
• Muonphilic Dark Matter explanation of gamma-ray galactic center excess: a comprehensive analysis
• Updated constraints on WIMP dark matter annihilation by radio observations of M31
• Gamma-ray and Synchrotron Radiation from Dark Matter annihilations in Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxies
• Constraints on annihilating dark matter in the Omega Centauri cluster
• Cosmic-ray transport and gamma-ray emission in M31
• Measuring the Mass of Missing Baryons in the Halo of Andromeda Galaxy with Gamma-Ray Observations
• Connecting direct and indirect detection with a dark spike in the cosmic-ray electron spectrum
• On the Gamma-Ray Emission of the Andromeda Galaxy M31
• Optimal observing strategies for velocity-suppressed dark matter annihilation
• Contribution of dark matter annihilation to gamma-ray burst afterglows near massive galaxy centers
• Nature of M31 gamma-ray halo in relation to dark matter annihilation
• Limits on Dark Matter Annihilation from the Shape of Radio Emission in M31