On the status of superheavy dark matter

Abstract

Superheavy particles are a natural candidate for the dark matter in the universe and our galaxy, because they are produced generically during inflation in cosmologically interesting amounts. The most attractive model for the origin of superheavy dark matter (SHDM) is gravitational production at the end of inflation. The observed cosmological density of dark matter determines the mass of the SHDM particle as $m_X=$(a few)$\times 10^{13}$ GeV, promoting it to a natural candidate for the source of the observed ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR). After a review of the theoretical aspects of SHDM, we up-date its predictions for UHECR observations: no GZK cutoff, flat energy spectrum with $dN/dE\approx 1/E^{1.9}$, photon dominance and galactic anisotropy. We analyze the existing data and conclude that SDHM as explanation for the observed UHECRs is at present disfavored but not yet excluded. We calculate the anisotropy relevant for future Auger observations that should be the conclusive test for this model. Finally, we emphasize that negative results of searches for SHDM in UHECR do not disfavor SHDM as a dark matter candidate. Therefore, UHECRs produced by SHDM decays and with the signatures as described should be searched for in the future as subdominant effect.

arXiv comment7 pages, 4 eps figures

References in corpus (36)

• First Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Determination of Cosmological Parameters
• The Structure of Cold Dark Matter Halos
• Dark Matter Substructure in Galactic Halos
• Reheating after Inflation
• Superheavy dark matter
• Production of massive particles during reheating
• Ultra-high energy cosmic rays without GZK cutoff
• Instant Preheating
• Cosmology with a TeV mass GUT Higgs
• Extremely high energy cosmic rays from relic particle decays
• A new estimate of the extragalactic radio background and implications for ultra-high-energy gamma-ray propagation
• Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays, Superheavy Long-Living Particles, and Matter Creation after Inflation
• The high energy cosmic ray spectrum from relic particle decay
• Signatures of Topological Defects
• Natural Candidates for Superheavy Dark Matter in String and M Theory
• On the statistical significance of the GZK feature in the spectrum of ultra high energy cosmic rays
• Fragmentation functions in SUSY QCD and UHECR spectra produced in top-down models
• Monte Carlo simulation for jet fragmentation in SUSY-QCD
• The spectrum features of UHECRs below and surrounding GZK
• Detailed analysis of the decay spectrum of a super-heavy X particle
• Upper limit on the ultra-high-energy photon flux from AGASA and Yakutsk data
• Production of ultra-energetic cosmic rays through the decay of super-heavy X particles
• Upper limit on the photon fraction in highest-energy cosmic rays from AGASA data
• Stable Superstring Relics and Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays
• Cosmological consequences of particle creation during inflation
• Galactic Anisotropy as Signature of ``Top-Down'' Mechanisms of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays
• Superheavy Dark Matter with Discrete Gauge Symmetries
• Dark matter halos and the anisotropy of ultra-high energy cosmic rays
• Limiting SUSY-QCD spectrum and its application for decays of superheavy particles
• Anisotropy of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays in the Dark Matter Halo Model
• Long-Lived Superheavy Particles in Dynamical Supersymmetry-Breaking Models in Supergravity
• A C++ Code to Solve the DGLAP Equations Applied to Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays
• Primordial bound systems of superheavy particles as the source of ultra-high energy cosmic rays
• Superheavy dark matter as UHECR source versus the SUGAR data
• Decay of Super-Heavy particles: User guide of the SHdecay program
• Constraining superheavy dark matter model of UHECR with SUGAR data

Cited by in corpus (28)

• Upper limit on the cosmic-ray photon flux above 10^19 eV using the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
• Hidden On-Shell Mediators for the Galactic Center Gamma-Ray Excess
• The Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network (AMON)
• GZK Photons as Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays
• Search for ultra-high energy photons using air showers
• Constraining heavy decaying dark matter with the high energy gamma-ray limits
• Super Heavy Dark Matter in light of BICEP2, Planck and Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays Observations
• Hunting for super-heavy dark matter with the highest-energy cosmic rays
• A search for photons with energies above $2\times 10^{17}$ eV using hybrid data from the low-energy extensions of the Pierre Auger Observatory
• Modeling of the Tau and Muon Neutrino-induced Optical Cherenkov Signals from Upward-moving Extensive Air Showers
• UHECR Particle Spectra from Crypton Decays
• Neutrino masses and superheavy dark matter in the 3-3-1-1 model
• Do active galactic nuclei convert dark matter into visible particles?
• Supersymmetric superheavy dark matter
• Acceleration and propagation of ultra high energy cosmic rays
• Global anisotropy of arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays: capabilities of space-based detectors
• Diffuse flux of ultra-high energy photons from cosmic-ray interactions in the disk of the Galaxy and implications for the search for decaying super-heavy dark matter
• Annihilations of superheavy dark matter in superdense clumps
• Computation of Gravitational Particle Production Using Adiabatic Invariants
• Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays & Super-heavy Dark Matter
• Overview of lunar detection of ultra-high energy particles and new plans for the SKA
• Selected Topics in Cosmic Ray Physics
• Review of the Multimessenger Working Group at UHECR-2012
• Active Galactic Nuclei and Transformation of Dark Matter into Visible Matter
• Probing superheavy dark matter through lunar radio observations of ultrahigh-energy neutrinos and the impacts of neutrino cascades
• Pierre Auger Observatory and Super Heavy Dark Matter
• Search for a diffuse flux of photons with energies above tens of PeV at the Pierre Auger Observatory
• Bounds from multi-messenger astronomy on the Super Heavy Dark Matter