Constraints on dark matter annihilation from the Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87*
Abstract The fast developments of radio astronomy open a new window to explore the properties of Dark Matter (DM). The recent direct imaging of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of M87 radio galaxy by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration is expected to be very useful to sea...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of High Energy Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP04(2022)018 |
| _version_ | 1827985392710713344 |
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| author | Guan-Wen Yuan Zhan-Fang Chen Zhao-Qiang Shen Wen-Qing Guo Ran Ding Xiaoyuan Huang Qiang Yuan |
| author_facet | Guan-Wen Yuan Zhan-Fang Chen Zhao-Qiang Shen Wen-Qing Guo Ran Ding Xiaoyuan Huang Qiang Yuan |
| author_sort | Guan-Wen Yuan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The fast developments of radio astronomy open a new window to explore the properties of Dark Matter (DM). The recent direct imaging of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of M87 radio galaxy by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration is expected to be very useful to search for possible new physics. In this work, we illustrate that such results can be used to detect the possible synchrotron radiation signature produced by DM annihilation from the innermost region of the SMBH. Assuming the existence of a spike DM density profile, we obtain the flux density due to DM annihilation induced electrons and positrons, and derive new limits on the DM annihilation cross section via the comparison with the EHT integral flux density at 230 GHz. Our results show that the parameter space can be probed by the EHT observations is largely complementary to other experiments. For DM with typical mass regions of being weakly interacting massive particles, the annihilation cross section several orders of magnitude below the thermal production level can be excluded by the EHT observations under the density spike assumption. Future EHT observations may further improve the sensitivity on the DM searches, and may also provide a unique opportunity to test the interplay between DM and the SMBH. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:14:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6ea5d9e9a527464fa3c480cbc8fc07a9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1029-8479 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:14:10Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of High Energy Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-6ea5d9e9a527464fa3c480cbc8fc07a92023-03-22T10:10:33ZengSpringerOpenJournal of High Energy Physics1029-84792022-04-012022411610.1007/JHEP04(2022)018Constraints on dark matter annihilation from the Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87*Guan-Wen Yuan0Zhan-Fang Chen1Zhao-Qiang Shen2Wen-Qing Guo3Ran Ding4Xiaoyuan Huang5Qiang Yuan6Key Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of SciencesSchool of physics and optoelectronics engineering, Anhui UniversityKey Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract The fast developments of radio astronomy open a new window to explore the properties of Dark Matter (DM). The recent direct imaging of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of M87 radio galaxy by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration is expected to be very useful to search for possible new physics. In this work, we illustrate that such results can be used to detect the possible synchrotron radiation signature produced by DM annihilation from the innermost region of the SMBH. Assuming the existence of a spike DM density profile, we obtain the flux density due to DM annihilation induced electrons and positrons, and derive new limits on the DM annihilation cross section via the comparison with the EHT integral flux density at 230 GHz. Our results show that the parameter space can be probed by the EHT observations is largely complementary to other experiments. For DM with typical mass regions of being weakly interacting massive particles, the annihilation cross section several orders of magnitude below the thermal production level can be excluded by the EHT observations under the density spike assumption. Future EHT observations may further improve the sensitivity on the DM searches, and may also provide a unique opportunity to test the interplay between DM and the SMBH.https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP04(2022)018Phenomenological Models |
| spellingShingle | Guan-Wen Yuan Zhan-Fang Chen Zhao-Qiang Shen Wen-Qing Guo Ran Ding Xiaoyuan Huang Qiang Yuan Constraints on dark matter annihilation from the Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87* Journal of High Energy Physics Phenomenological Models |
| title | Constraints on dark matter annihilation from the Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87* |
| title_full | Constraints on dark matter annihilation from the Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87* |
| title_fullStr | Constraints on dark matter annihilation from the Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87* |
| title_full_unstemmed | Constraints on dark matter annihilation from the Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87* |
| title_short | Constraints on dark matter annihilation from the Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87* |
| title_sort | constraints on dark matter annihilation from the event horizon telescope observations of m87 |
| topic | Phenomenological Models |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP04(2022)018 |
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